Talks in Beijing

China twice scuttled the resolution in the Security Council that demanded the organization to declare Pakistani murderer Azhar an international terrorist. Nothing is final and irreversible in the history of diplomacy. Churchill once said that diplomacy is the art of taking people to hell for which they seek direction. The game of international diplomacy makes you friends and foes within a very short time. China strictly adheres to what the text book of international diplomacy says.
China-India talks have been dragging on despite forbidding hiccups surfacing now and then. Actually, handling China is an art of good diplomacy, which may concede nothing and extract nothing yet keeps smiling all the time. Despite her two-time rejection of the proposal of declaring Azhar as international terrorist, Beijing did not stonewall the draft proposal to make it ineffective and redundant for all times to come. It had left the caveat in one or the other way. That is the characteristic of Chinese diplomacy and India has begun to understand it and reciprocate it with equal deftness.
Our Foreign Secretary has told his Chinese counterpart that the proof of Azhar’s terrorist antecedents lies in his being the head of an organization that has already been designated as a terrorist organization by the UN. As far as the terrorist related activities of Azhar are concerned these are well documented and beggar no further description. The cogent point made by India in the talks at Beijing is that the proposal of designating Azhar has not originated from Indian camp but from Anglo-American-French camp and is largely endorsed by many countries including India. Who is China supporting by scuttling the proposal? If she thinks she is obliging Pakistan, the harsh reality is that Pakistan is fighting the terrorists she alleges are hiding in Afghanistan. By supporting Azhar, China will be indirectly jeopardizing the position of Pakistan in her fight against terrorism.
Of late, news have trickled down that Beijing is not happy with Pakistan giving freedom to home-bred terrorist groups like Jaish and Lashkar and others. It is also reported that Beijing has conveyed its displeasure to Pakistan in subtle manner because China feels her position on international forum receives set back by scuttling the proposal of designating Azhar which international body contends to be indirect support to Pakistan. After all Pakistan now stands known as the bastion of Islamic terrorism and by supporting her indirectly in a terrorism-related matter casts aspersions on China. Furthermore, India has profiled China in precisely same contours. Our Foreign Secretary has very ably brought this point home to China during his recent talks in Beijing. The ground situation is that Beijing has very tenuous situation to face if she continue with her negative attitude to the proposal at the Security Council. Beijing may be claiming to have controlled and subdued the Muslim Uighur uprising in Xinxiang the ground reality is that unrest is simmering in entire Turkestan despite the nominal autonomy granted to the province. They want separation from China and establishment of Eastern Turkestan Republic and their movement has now gained much popularity in western world. In fact some Uighurs even travelled all the way to join terrorist camps in Pakistan to receive training in subversion and Beijing had to warn Pakistan to stop luring Uighur youth to her terrorist camps.
We know Chinese tactics. They tried to make Pakistan happy by adopting anti-India stance at the SC. But Beijing has begun to feel that her stock is dwindling and is now in search of an escape route which she finds in talking to India. At the same time, Beijing cannot but have revised approach to her NSG policy of blocking India from entry into this prestigious group. Beijing understands that India under Modi has refurbished her international image and has won the goodwill of any countries on international forum. As days pass by her opposition to India will hang like albatross round her neck unless she thrown it away.

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