BEIJING: Chinese experts have opined that China has made a mistake by including militants groups based in Pakistan and Afghanistan in BRICS declaration.
The experts are of the view that the move could prove costly for its ties with countries in the region particularly Pakistan.
Hu Shisheng, director of the Institute of South and Southeast Asian and Oceania Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations told Indian media ties between China and Pakistan would face its biggest, biggest challenge since the 1960s following the declaration.
He told Hindustan Times “Brics is not the ideal platform for the emerging economies to talk about terrorism. I think the agenda of this Brics summit has been hijacked by some forces.”
Hu thinks the decision was too costly, adding that “It is really a big mistake, which the Chinese government will feel in the coming years.”
Another expert, Wang Dehua from the Shanghai Municipal Centre for International Studies questioned the selective inclusion of groups from Pakistan.
Wang said he frequently hears from Pakistan that India supports the Balochistan militants and other subversive groups active along the Pak-Afghan.
Another expert on Pakistan, India and China and who did not wanted to be identified said, “New Delhi won the game and the statement is what it wanted and got.”
The BRICS summit on Monday pledged opposition to protectionism, denounced North Korea’s latest nuclear test, tougher measures against terrorist groups and the UN reforms.
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa agreed in a joint declaration to strengthen cooperation against a range of terrorist organisations, including some allegedly based in Pakistan.
The group called for an immediate end to violence in Afghanistan. “We, in this regard, express concern over the security situation in the region and violence caused by the Taliban, (Islamic State)..., Al-Qaeda and its affiliates including Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Muhammad, TTP and Hizb-ut-Tehrir,” the declaration read.
The summit was attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Brazil’s Michel Temer, South Africa’s Jacob Zuma and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The declaration said nations should unite to fight terrorist groups in accordance with the principles of international law, but emphasised the importance of not interfering in the sovereign affairs of individual states.