Why China agreed to include Pak-based terror groups in BRICS declaration?

BEIJING: China on Monday said that Pakistan-based terrorist outfits like JeM, LeT and the Haqqani network have been included in the BRICS joint declaration due to concerns about their violent activities in the region.

Defending the move to include these terror groups for the first time in the BRICS joint declaration, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said BRICS countries have "shown their concerns to the violent activities raised by these organisations".

"These organisations are all sanctioned by the UN Security Council and have a significant impact for Afghanistan issue," Geng told in a written response to a strong reference in the BRICS countries about these terror groups.

 

He, however, skirted a response to a question on whether the naming of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) by the BRICS in which China is a prominent member marks a change in Beijing's stand of opposing the UN ban against the group's chief Masood Azhar.

"On the counter terrorism cooperation among the BRICS countries, we are very satisfied with the achievements made by the BRICS. We have a working group on terrorism," he said.