China won’t budge on India’s NSG entry, terror tag for Azhar

Ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to India, Beijing has indicated its unwillingness to support India's attempt to enter the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) or to introduce an international ban on terrorist Masood Azhar.

No one should pursue "political gains in the name of counter-terrorism", said China's vice foreign minister Li Baodong, defending his country's blocking of India's petition for a UN ban on Azhar, who heads the Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Later this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet President Xi at the BRICS summit in Goa, which groups major developing economies Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

India has blamed the Jaish-e-Mohammed for January's attack on an air force base in Pathankot and last month's terror strike on an army base in Uri in Kashmir, in which 19 soldiers were killed.

China has twice thwarted India's move for Azhar to be added by the United Nations Security Council to blacklisted persons that are linked to al Qaeda or ISIS. It also led a small group of countries in June that opposed India being made a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group or NSG, which has 48 members who trade in civil nuclear technology.  Both moves are seen as Beijing's extension of support to its ally Pakistan.

In April, China was the only one among 15 member-countries of the Security Council to veto the ban on Azhar, which would stop him from travelling internationally and freeze his assets. Days before the veto or "technical hold" was to expire at the end of last month, China renewed it.

Last week, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said that India would ask China to reconsider its stand, seen as a significant extension of support to ally Pakistan.

About the NSG, China's vice foreign minister said, "These rules are not to be decided by China alone ... we are ready to continue consultations with India to build consensus and we also hope India can go to other members of the NSG as well."

To prevent India's entry, China has said that the NSG's rules disallow a member who has not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.  India has said it will not surrender its national interest by signing the accord, but its track record of non-proliferation should entitle it to join the NSG. India was granted an NSG waiver in 2008 that allows it to engage in nuclear commerce, but deprives it of a vote in the organisation's decision-making.