World

Pakistan, India to start process of joining China security bloc

Chinese vice foreign minister says India and Pakistan's admission to the SCO will improve their bilateral relations

Reuters July 06, 2015

PHOTO: REUTERS

BEIJING: Nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India will start the process of joining a security bloc led by China and Russia at a summit in Russia later this week, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Monday, the first time the grouping has expanded since it was set up in 2001.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) groups China, Russia and the former Soviet republics of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, while India, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Mongolia are observers.

"As the influence of the SCO's development has expanded, more and more countries in the region have brought up joining the SCO," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping told a news briefing.

Read: Nawaz, Modi may meet at Russia summit

"...India and Pakistan's admission to the SCO will play an important role in the SCO's development and it will play a constructive role in pushing for the improvement of their bilateral relations."

The SCO was originally formed to fight threats posed by radical Islam and drug trafficking from neighbouring Afghanistan.

Cheng said that the summit, to be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, would also discuss security in Afghanistan.

Beijing says separatist groups in the far western region of Xinjiang, home to the Muslim Uighur minority, are seeking to form their own state called East Turkestan and have links with militants in Central Asia as well as Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Read: Deepening partnership: Pakistan looks to Russia for satiating energy demand

China says that Uighur militants, operating at the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), has also been working with Islamic State.

"It can be said that ETIM certainly has links with the Islamic State, and has participated in relevant terrorist activities. China is paying close attention to this, and will have security cooperation with relevant countries," Cheng said.

COMMENTS (10)

K B Kale | 9 years ago | Reply Dont look anywhere else. Just look in the eye of the PM of your so-called 'evergreen' & 'Forever' friend. You are the second, your evergreen friend has already double-crossed USA.

Afzal | 9 years ago | Reply @G. Din: And why should Pakistan accept India in any set up? India denying China its due place or causing hurdles will only strengthen China-Pak ties and its consequences. Sitting in uncle Obama's lap is not going to help given the American economy becoming increasingly reliant on China. The fact that Chinese are getting more access to Europe while American influence has relatively declined tends to favour that view.

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G. Din | 9 years ago | Reply It is not "China Security Block", but Shanghai Cooperation Organization. China has no special privileges in it and with co-opting of India into it, will lose influence to India-Russia subgrouping within it as other former Soviet republics are far more loyal to Russia.. India does not recognize the leadership of China in any institutional set-up.

Ibrar | 9 years ago | Reply These are the signs we are seeing in anticipation of China's rise as no 1 economy with in the next decade. But for its survival the alliance should not have an anti west agenda and it had better conduct itself with positive policies towards the West so that economic gains are shared. As far India-Pakistan this would be an opportunity to try and make up with each other. It could be in the form of shared involvement in a combined J&K or perhaps softening the borders to the extent that the issue of What belongs to who is no longer a hurdle or bone of contention. However one should not rule out that the two could be trapped in more complex series of knots. Other global powers are not expected to feel alienated and do nothing.

Fahim | 9 years ago | Reply This block will be nearly half of world's population and area. Best of luck

Union Jack | 9 years ago | Reply Finally. This is a step in right direction by India, Pakistan, China and Russia. Asian countries should unite like European nations and let together progress in economy rather than fighting old and out dated wars. Lets have open borders, so we don't have to fight for piece of land. Ameen.

Milind | 9 years ago | Reply @the Skunk - Security bloc against the West? The Chinese would be the first to jettison this and run to the West, if it suits their interest (just as they dumped their Communist ideology & embraced Capitalism whole-heartedly). Same applies to the Russians as well.

the Skunk | 9 years ago | Reply @Prada: Yes, another bloc! That's good to counterbalance the domineering attitude of the West. This will InshAllah bring about a better understanding of relations between Pakistan and India. Ameen. Salams

Tepper | 9 years ago | Reply It is in China's interest to have India and Pakistan at loggerheads. This is just a farce. Just like how US wants to use India against China, China wants to use Pakistan against India.

Prada | 9 years ago | Reply Not another bloc !

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