China draws ire for blocking Masood Azhar’s listing as global terrorist

For the fourth time has China blocked India’s bid at the UN Security Council to designate Jaish-e-Mohammed Chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

Even as global pressure against Masood Azhar mounted, China chose to put up “technical hold” as an excuse to shield the Jaish chief.

As the hashtag, #BoycottChineseProducts keeps trending on Twitter, China’s move has triggered outrage amongst people. From boycotting Chinese goods to raising tariffs, there are all kinds of suggestions people are coming up with against Beijing.

“One big state holds up, again… one small signal at UN against terror. Grateful to the many states – big and small – who in unprecedented numbers joined as co-sponsors of the effort,” India’s envoy to the UN Syed Akbaruddin tweeted after China foiled the proposed listing on Tuesday.

China maintained it needed more time to conduct an ‘in-depth assessment’ of the application to designate Azhar a global terrorist.

Defending its actions, China said the UNSC committee needed more time to find a “lasting solution” on the matter. “Only a solution that is acceptable to all sides can fundamentally provide a chance for a lasting solution to the issue. China is ready to communicate and coordinate with all sides including India to properly handle this issue,” Chinese spokesperson Lu Kang said.

“Pakistan has quite often depended on China to protect it from the listing of Pakistan-based terrorist groups and individuals in the UN 1267 sanctions committee. The case for designating Masood Azhar — the leader of a group the UN already calls an Al Qaida-affiliated terrorist organisation — is undeniable,” said a UN Security Council diplomat on terms of anonymity.

Four of five permanent UNSC members — US, UK, France, and Russia — backed the move to designate Azhar a global terrorist, with China the lone holdout.