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Will be in touch with India on Azhar ban issue: China

China on Friday said it will remain in touch with India and “relevant parties” on Beijing blocking New Delhi’s bid for a UN ban on Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM)chief Masood Azhar, as it mulled further options after its technical hold on the ban expires this month.

“On the issue of listing in the UNSC 1267 Committee, I have already explained China’s position many times,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang.

“China will continue to keep in touch with relevant parties, including India, on this issue,” he said in a written response to Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar’s comments that India has urged China to reverse its technical hold on New Delhi’s request.

Akbar had said in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that India’s request on Azhar’s ban was co-sponsored by several prominent countries. Akbar had said that China had often repeated its concern on the spread of terrorism and its desire to cooperate with India on the issue.

Geng’s response to Akbar’s comments came as the second technical hold put by China in October, following the Uri terror attack, which was also blamed on the JeM, is due to expire later this month.

On March 31, China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, had blocked India’s move to impose a ban on Jaish-e-Mohammed leader and Pathankot terror attack mastermind Azhar under the Sanctions Committee of the Council.

China was the only member in the 15-nation UN body to put a hold on India’s application with all other 14 members of the Council supporting New Delhi’s bid to place Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list that would subject him to an assets freeze and travel ban.
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