Daily Times

Notwithstanding the defense against US on the issue of terrorism, China looks as if it has taken an astonishing novel turn on the subject. The declaration espoused at the recent BRICS summit in Xiamen, China has denounced terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and also named three key Pakistan-based terrorist groups; the Haqqani network, Jaish-e-Muhammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba amongst other terrorist organizations responsible for violence and insecurity.

Commencing with criticism against savagery towards ‘innocent Afghan nationals’, the avowal went on to firmly back the Afghan national government as well as the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). Alongside the Pakistani terrorist groups, the declaration enumerated Taliban, Islamic State, Al Qaeda and its partners like the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and Hizb-ut-Tahrir.

The BRICS, made out of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is as of yet an untested unit of examination. It is restricted in terms of communicated want or eagerness to lead, their capacity or ability to lead and the cogency to be a pioneer for followership or acknowledgment. However, themes are copiously used to capture the leadership of BRICS and are generally defined to cover security and economic dimensions.

In the wake of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) agreement, China is looking to advance peace in the region both for getting hefty returns on its investments, and for curtailing US influence

Nevertheless, there is an equal message for both India and Pakistan in the aforesaid declaration, and it would be really foolish calling it a diplomatic win for India, reason being that the real politik considerations are always there. Such declarations are principally consent-based documents, and China being the host has steered its drafting in its own way. The language on Pakistan-based terrorist groups would have been kept out by China. Moreover, this avowal might well be viewed as a refreshment stand to India, but is in fact in a broader horizon a well-considered shift in China’s policy with larger aims in foresight.

Undoubtedly the decision by China to downrightly name terror groups has significant ramifications. To start with, the conspicuous reference to Afghanistan and activities of the Taliban and the Haqqani amass seem, by all accounts, to be a riposte to the latest reported US arrangement on Afghanistan. Likewise, in naming the Haqqani network and turning out in solid support to ANDSF, the Chinese are putting the press on Islamabad’s case and making space for embedding themselves into the Afghan equation.

Equally, it is not that China is cutting Pakistan free. The opposite could quite possibly be the situation. Beijing could well be moving Islamabad into a nearer grasp. In the wake of putting down cash through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), China is looking to advance peace in the region both as a method for getting return on its investments, and in addition dislodging US as the main performing artist in the region that China considers its fringe — and that too a vital one as a result of its Belt Road initiatives.

Afghanistan is an inexorably profitable connection in the engineering of China’s Belt Road Initiative (BRI) particularly in South and Central Asia. Henceforth, China simply cannot let go of the political instability and insecurity in the region for it keeps on posing real snags to the Chinese extending cash and faculty in the region. On the other hand, India for its part has explicitly rejected the BRI in its backyard, even going so far as to boycott Beijing’s prized road and belt forum in May 2017. So by naming Pakistan-based terror groups China has played its part in addressing one of the grievances of India, and to bring it to the chequered board of BRI in consort to the regional significance that India possess.

Pakistan, however, is committed to fighting the dread, especially against the groups mentioned in the pronouncement. Hitherto, with the foreign media guns blasting towards Pakistan, clearly Islamabad is exhibiting a frail instance of its counter terrorism endeavours to its regional and global allies. Pakistan must not wrongly dismiss motion from developing world economies. BRICS revelation recommends a global pattern that Pakistan can’t stand to overlook. It also needs to make its domestic fight against terrorism more purposeful. Summing it up, there is a bigger message in the more outspoken way to deal with terrorism noticeable in the Xiamen announcement; for BRICS has a unique basis of economic growth and development which must be accomplished by inculcating peace in the region.

The writer is currently working as Research Affiliate at SVI and can be reached at ubaid@thesvi.org

Published in Daily Times,September 25^th 2017.