How to Deal with China’s Blocking at the UN?: Relevance for UPSC
GS 2: India and its Neighbourhood, Effect of Policies & Politics of Countries on India’s Interests
GS 3: Cyber Warfare, Cyber Security
How to Deal with China’s Blocking at the UN?: Why in news?
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres termed China’s move of blocking the listing of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Shahid Mahmood, a political one.
How to Deal with China’s Blocking at the UN?: What is the issue?
- Soon after blocking the proposal to designate Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Shahid Mahmood as a global terrorist, China placed a technical hold on a proposal by India and the US at the United Nations to blacklist Hafiz Talah Saeed, the son of Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed.
- It is the second time in less than two days that Beijing put a hold on the bid submitted by India and the US to designate a Pakistan-based terrorist as a global terrorist.
How to Deal with China’s Blocking at the UN?: China’s Blockade is a political strategy against India & US
- China’s decision to block two proposals by India and the United States to list Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commanders on the United Nations Security Council’s 1267 terror list is part of a well-worn pattern now.
- Since June, New Delhi and Washington have made five such proposals, with China placing a hold on each.
- This includes Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar’s brother Rauf Asghar and LeT leaders Abdur Rahman Makki (Hafiz Saeed’s brother-in-law), 26/11 handler Sajid Mir and the latest listing requests for Talha Saeed (Hafiz Saeed’s son) and Shahid Mehmood, who is charged with recruitment and collection of funds for the terror group.
- China’s response to the requests of respective countries(India & China) has been consistently recalcitrant, placing hold upon hold on the proposals made, regardless of the figure it cuts in the global counter-terrorism space, using what New Delhi has forcefully criticised as a “political bias” towards Pakistan to stymie the process.
How to Deal with China’s Blocking at the UN?: What should India do?
Given the current situation, India has three clear choices:
Choice 1
The Government can abandon the effort until China can be persuaded to change its stance.
Choice 2
India can continue to bring terror listing proposals to the UN knowing they will be blocked by China, but showing that China is indeed misusing its power as a permanent member of the Security Council.
Choice 3
A third option is to open a diplomatic channel with China that focuses on the issue of global cooperation on terrorism, separate from other fractious bilateral issues, and to induce Beijing to reconsider its untenable position.
How to Deal with China’s Blocking at the UN?: Opening a Diplomatic Channel should be the right approach
While the last option seems the most difficult, if not impossible, it must be remembered that China was persuaded to “grey list” Pakistan at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) from 2012-2015, and from 2018 to the present, and remove its hold and allow the terror listing of Masood Azhar at the UNSC in 2019, after blocking such attempts since 2009.
Reinventing the United Nations
How to Deal with China’s Blocking at the UN?: Way forward
- India has called upon the international community to deal with the menace of terrorism unequivocally and resolutely as China shielded two more operatives of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) based in Pakistan from the United Nations sanctions.
- The Indian government will host a meeting of the United Nations Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee in Mumbai and New Delhi on October 28 and 29.
- The meeting is likely to see India tacitly hitting out at China for blocking the moves to impose UN sanctions on terrorists based in Pakistan.
How to Deal with China’s Blocking at the UN?: Conclusion
It is time for India to consider all its options with China to ensure justice for all the victims of the cross-border terrorism that has exacted a deep and lasting toll on the country.
