C3S Interview 007/2019 |
India and China share common concerns about the spread of
terrorism worldwide. Their concerns on terrorism grew with the rise of Al Qaeda
and later on the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) spreading their
tentacles in many countries of the world, including in the region.
Counter-terrorism cooperation has figured as one of the issues discussed at
India-China formal and informal meetings for nearly two decades. At the
recently held Mamallapuram informal meeting (now termed as Chennai Connect)
between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, one of
the issues discussed was counter-terrorism cooperation.
In the context of the Chennai Connect, Ms. Situ Kumari,
Research Officer, C3S interviews Col. R. Hariharan, VSM (Retd.), an MI
specialist of the Army on South Asia and Terrorism and Insurgency, and Member,
C3S, on the scope and limitations of counter-terrorism cooperation between
India and China.
Q 1. What are your views on the Modi-Xi informal meeting at
Mamallapuram, particularly on combating terrorism, which was one of the topics
of discussion?
We have to study the Mamallapuram informal summit (now known as
Chennai Connect) in the overall context of India-China relations to understand
India-China cooperation on combating terrorism. These one to one informal
meetings reflect the continued efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
President Xi Jinping to maintain cordial relations between the two Asian
giants, despite periodically complex bilateral and international situations
threaten to cause friction and misunderstanding.
The Wuhan informal meeting held after the 72-day long military
confrontation at Doklam defused the tense situation between the two countries.
The Chennai Connect was held after India became seriously concerned at China’s
all-out support to Pakistan, both bilaterally and internationally over India’s
action to abolish Article 370 of its constitution giving special status to
Jammu and Kashmir. As it is an informal meeting the focus was on efforts to
understand each other’s sensitivities than evolving solutions. This is evident
from the MEA press note of October 12 on Mamallapuram worded in generalities,
rather than specific actions. It summed up the meeting saying: “The two leaders
shared their mutual vision on goals for the development of their respective
economies. They agreed that the simultaneous development of India and China
presents mutually-beneficial opportunities. The two sides will continue to
adopt a positive, pragmatic and open attitude and to enhance appreciation of
each other’s policies and actions in line with the general direction of their
friendship and cooperation.”
On the issue of terrorism, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
note said: “Both leaders are concerned that terrorism continues to pose a
common threat. As countries that are large and diverse, they recognized the
importance of continuing to make joint efforts to ensure that the international
community strengthens the framework against training, financing and supporting
terrorist groups throughout the world and on a non-discriminatory basis.”
However, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in his official summing
up of the meeting did not mention anything related to discussions on combating
terrorism. However, China’s actions and statements after the Chennai Connect
have shown that China was playing down concerns on terrorism threat because
India’s emphasis is on recognizing Pakistan as the source of global terrorism.
Q 2. Speaking about terrorism and radicalization and the Pakistan
angle, do you think that China is displaying inconsistency between speech and
action?
Of course, China often takes a contradictory stand on terrorism
and radicalization when it relates to Pakistan for reasons of strategic
security and realpolitik. China has assiduously built its strategic security
relations with Pakistan. China is heavily invested in Belt and Road Initiative
(BRI) projects in Pakistan’s multi-modal infrastructure development because
they are vital for China’s strategic articulation in the Indian Ocean Region
(IOR) and South and Central Asia. China’s strategic priorities in favour of
Pakistan will continue to hobble it from fully cooperating with India in
combating terrorism, not only in the sub-continent, but in any international
forum if Pakistan’s interests are affected.
China had been supportive of Pakistan in international forums
including the UN Security Council and the FATF (Financial Action Task Force)
meetings on money laundering and terrorism financing. If FATF blacklists
Pakistan, it would not only cripple its economy but adversely affect China’s
huge investments made in Pakistan. China’s support of Pakistan’s objections to
the abolishing Article 370 of the Indian Constitution has to be understood in
this larger context.
Q 3. In spite of China’s support to Pakistan, do you think there
is scope for India and China to successfully combine their efforts to tackle
the menace of terrorism in the future?
Despite China’s strategic compulsions relating to Pakistan, at the
global level India and China cooperation is valuable in combating international
terrorism, because it covers a wide spectrum of related activities across
various disciplines affecting the two neighbours. These include military and
security cooperation on counter-terrorism operations, extradition of terrorist
suspects, sale and trafficking in arms, trafficking in drugs and people, money
laundering, evolving international protocols for combating terrorism.
Combating international terrorism had been part of the agenda of
bilateral meetings at various levels between India and China starting with
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s official visit to Beijing in 2005. During
the visit, India and China mooted the idea of mutual consultation and
cooperation on combating terrorism. This paved the way for holding periodic
meetings of foreign ministers of both the countries as well as the India-China
Joint Working Group on Counter-terrorism.
After the Doklam standoff, the most significant move in 2018 was
the signing of an agreement on internal security cooperation to “strengthen and
consolidate discussions and cooperation in the areas of counter-terrorism,
organized crimes, drug control, and other relevant areas”. It could be
path-breaking if pursued in earnest. (The caveat is Chinese official statements
frequently contain the word “relevant” to suit the country’s ambivalent stand
on some of the related issues.)
The internal security agreement was signed at the first-ever
India-China high-level meeting on bilateral security chaired jointly by Union
Home Minister Rajnath Singh and the visiting State Counselor and Minister for
Public Security Zhao Kezhi.
The 8th meeting of the Joint Working Group was held in Beijing on
January 29-30, 2019. Both sides assessed and exchanged views on regional and
international counter-terrorism situations, areas of mutual concerns including
bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Counter-terrorism cooperation has also featured in multilateral
forums where both India and China are members: the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
(SCO), Russia-India-China (RIC) and Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa
(BRICS) meetings. In fact in the SCO’s objectives are economic cooperation and
security cooperation, particularly in counter-terrorism.
But in all these groupings where India and China are members, the
reference to terrorism is in generalities, avoiding naming Pakistan. For
instance, at the 16th meeting of the foreign ministers of RIC, held after the
Pulwama terrorist attack on February 14, 2019, China said that extremist groups
cannot be supported and used in political and geopolitical goals and those
backing terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice. In
spite of this, in the joint communiqué of the meeting, the three nations
strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations without any
reference to Pakistan.
But there are limitations in India-China cooperation on
counter-terrorism because of China’s understanding of what constitutes
terrorism is that of doctrinaire Communism of Soviet vintage. China considers
terrorism as one of “The Three Evils” -terrorism, separatism and religious
extremism. It has always considered terrorism as one of the biggest threats to
internal security and territorial integrity, which are part of China’s core
interests. According to the Terrorism laws, terrorist acts are those that are
intended “induce public fear or to coerce a state or international
organizations by means of violence, sabotage, threats or other tactics…These
acts cause or aim to cause severe harm to society by causing casualties,
bringing about major economic losses, damaging public facilities or disturbing
social order.”
China’s main terrorism concern has been largely related to the
separatist struggle of Uyghur of Xinjiang. This was aggravated when some
Uyghurs had joined Al Qaeda to take part in the war in Afghanistan. However,
China’s expanding global footprint and after the BRI, there had been terrorist
attacks on Chinese nationals in Syria, Pakistan, etc. So in 2015, China passed
a new anti-terrorism law that allows the military to venture overseas on
counter-terror operations. China says it faces a threat not only from
home-grown Islamists in its far western region of Xinjiang but also from
militants in the Middle East, some of whom it says are from Xinjiang. As the
BRI extends into Afghanistan and Iran, the scope for China’s counter-terrorism
cooperation with India will increase. How the two countries will meet this need
to cooperate will depend upon future developments in the Af-Pak region.
(The views expressed are the
interviewee’s own.)
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