In touch with India on JeM chief issue: China

China today said it was in "close communication" withIndia over its decision to block New Delhi's bid to have Pakistan-based terror group JeM chief Masood Azhar designated as terrorist by the UN.
"China is opposed toall forms of terrorism and is willing to step up pragmatic cooperation with all countries," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters here.
When asked about Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar's remarks that India has taken up Azhar's ban issue with China, Hong said, "on anti-terrorism we always act based on facts and in accordance with rules and regulations of UN to deal with the listing in the 1267 sanctions committee".

"We always keep in close communication with all the countries including India on this issue," he said.
Jaishankar this week said that India has taken up at a "fairly high level" with China the issue of Beijing blocking its bid to have Azhar designated as terrorist by the UN.
Last week, China stopped UN sanctions committee from designating Azhar as terrorist, maintaining that the case "did not meet the requirements" of the Security Council.

This is not the first time China has blocked India's bid to get Pakistan-based militant groups and leaders proscribed by the UN.
The UN had banned the JeM in 2001 but India's efforts for slapping sanctions on Azhar after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack also did not fructify as China, that has veto powers, did not allow it apparently at the behest of Pakistan again.

On whether the issue on the ban on Azhar can be resolved
this year as it dragged into the second year, Lu said, "It is not the length of time."
"It is a matter of time whether a consensus can be reached on the basis of full consultations."
Asked to identify specific reasons for blocking Azhar's ban, Lu said, "Consultations in the Security Counciland internal discussions of its affiliations has its own set of discussion rules."
"All the details are closed to the outside (world) for all these years the formation of the Security Council and its affiliations have been acting in line with these discussion rules. We hope there will be enough time for full discussion to reach a decision that can be justifiable in the international community," he said.

The US, supported by two other permanent members of UN Security Council -the UK and France- moved the proposal at the UN's Sanctions Committee 1267 in the second-half of the last month to proscribe Azhar.
The proposal, which was finalised after "consultations" between Washington and New Delhi, said JeM is a designated terror outfit and so its leaders cannot go scot-free.
It was submitted just a day before the inauguration of US President Donald Trump.
China has been constantly opposing efforts to get Azhar banned by the UN, which has proscribed his outfit JeM in 2001. The Chinese opposition is also seen by many as an action taken at the behest of its "all-weather ally" Pakistan.

After the attack on the IAF base at Pathankot in January last year, India in February wrote to the UN calling for immediate action to list Azhar under the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee. The efforts faced stiff opposition by China, which twice put a "technical hold" before finally blocking the Indian proposal in December.