China-Pak nexus: Mutually beneficial

On March 13, China blocked for the fourth time the listing of Masood Azhar, head of Jaish-e-Mohammed by the UN Security Council's 1267 committee. It is all the more shocking despite the fact that a Pak-funded Islamist insurgency by Uighurs is rampant in its own Muslim-dominated Xinjiang province.

The move to brand Azhar as a global terrorist has come after the JeM attack in Pulwama in which over 40 CRPF jawans were killed. In the eyes of China , Azhar is not a terrorist but a facilitator of its own strategic and business interests in Pakistan.

It is quite obvious that China has been exploiting Pakistan as a military –economic pawn with the unfurling of China-Pakistan economic corridor.It is an open secret that China's infrastructure investments in the economic corridor involves even claiming a military port for it in Gwadar.

India should know that Pakistan is China's first customer for military hardware. Its ambition is to become the world's top arms manufacturer. It is both surprising and shocking that Huawei, a Chinese telecom Manufacturer which is banned by the western countries is said to be in the fray to supply 5G equipment in India. India should ban the company from 5G trials.

Further, India and the US should pressurise Pakistan to comply with the demands of the international watchdog on terror funding FATF and see that Pakistan fulfils 27 conditions before October to avoid getting into the blacklist.

Global diplomatic pressure seems to have already worked on Pakistan as on Feb 21 as It has decided to accelerate action against proscribed organizations such as Jamat-ud- Dawa(which is led by 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed). and Falah-e- Insaniat.

Simultaneously, such diplomatic measures as isolating Pakistan at global flora and prresurizing countries like Saud Arabia to review all its bilateral diplomatic and economic engagements with Pakistan, reviewing operation of bilateral treaties like the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 need to be taken with due seriousness.

Above all, it is sheer folly to trust China to turn against Pakistan. But as said aptly by a political analyst ''The Chinese understand markets and money. India has both in abundance.

It may be difficult to defeat China in war games. But economy games could script a different ending. Fracture Beijing's resolve to support the terror manufacturers and salesmen using market missiles.''

SM Kompella, Kakinada