China mum on delaying India's call for UN ban on Pakistan-based militants

BEIJING: Declining to spell out its response to charges of putting a "technical hold" on India's calls for UN action against Pakistan-based militant groups, China today said it recognises that India and China faced threat from terrorism and should enhance cooperation to combat the menace.

Asked for her response to charges that China has put a "technical hold" on India's request to list Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin in the UN Security Council sanctions committee on al-Qaeda and associated entities, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying declined to comment.

"It is not convenient for me to give any specific comments. Hope you can understand that," Hua told a media briefing here today.

She cited rules of the UNSC resolution 1267 to impose sanctions against terrorist groups.

China has reportedly put a technical hold on action against Salahuddin at the behest of Pakistan.

Beijing has faced a similar charge in the past of stalling UN action against Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Hafeez Saeed with queries seeking more details to the outfit's links with al-Qaeda.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said at a press conference in New Delhi yesterday India has conveyed to China that terrorism was an issue which concerned Beijing too and it should keep that in mind while voting in the UNSC.

Pressed further about India-China terrorism cooperation which figured during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's talks with top Chinese leaders during his visit here last month, Hua said "both our countries faced threat from terrorism".

"Terrorism is a challenge to the entire international community," she added.

The two countries should enhance cooperation to crackdown on terrorism to safeguard "our respective security and stability as well as the prosperity and development of the world", she said.

"China would like to stay in communication with the Indian side to enhance cooperation in this regard," she added.