India tried to use the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) Summit against Pakistan by declaring Pakistan as mother ship of terrorism. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech called Pakistan the “mother ship of terrorism”, other members of BRICS – including Pakistan’s iron brother” China were not willing to sign on the dotted line. 
Russian President Vladimir Putin did not make any reference to terrorism in his statement.
In his 10-minute speech Chinese President Xi Jinping, too did not hold back. In an oblique reference to Kashmir, he talked about the need to find a “political solution” to “regional hotspots”. He also called for concrete efforts and multi-pronged approach that address both “symptoms and root causes” to global challenges like terrorism — an argument that is in tune with Pakistan’s position on Kashmir.
“We need to confront global challenges together. We, BRICS countries, share a common future. We are not only a community of convergence interest, but take concerted actions and make progress together. It is imperative that we step up coordination and communication on major international issues and regional hotspots and act in concert to find political solution to hotspot issues and take on such global challenges like natural disasters, climate change, infectious diseases, and terrorism,” he said. “While speaking with one voice in calling for greater international input, we should also address issues on the ground with concrete efforts and multi-pronged approach that addresses both symptoms and root causes,” said the Chinese President. Earlier, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that selective approaches to terrorists and their outfits are futile and counter-productive. In our own region, terrorism poses a grave threat to peace, security, and development. Tragically, the mothership of terrorism is a country in India’s neighborhood.BRICS must speak in one voice against this threat,” said Modi at the inaugural session of the BRICS summit. But, with differing views of other BRICS countries, particularly China and Russia, the five expansive and strongly-worded paragraphs on terrorism in the 109-para Goa declaration, did not mention the Uri attack. China blocked India’s attempts to include the names of terror groups like JeM and LeT in the BRICS’ Goa Declaration but what has hurt the government more, as sources said, is Russia’s disinclination to argue India’s case. The result, of course, was a declaration which failed to address India’s core concern of the issue of state-sponsored terrorism. What compounded the matter for India was Russia’s recent military flirtation with Pakistan in the name of anti-terror exercise. In current global power play, Russia is seen increasingly as needing China more than the other way round, but Moscow’s submission to the Chinese position on an issue related to India’s security still has come as a revelation to the Indian authorities. While Russia did not help India name-check JeM, which perpetrated both Pathankot and Uri attacks, in the Goa Declaration, it ensured that Syria-based Jabhat al-Nusra figured in it. As it seeks to bolster the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, Russia has continued to target al-Nusra, which it accuses of seeking a Caliphate through barbaric methods, in the country. Like the Nusra, JeM and LeT too are proscribed by the UN. Russia called for “relentless pursuit” of al-Nusra in the declaration. Moscow appeared willing to accommodate India’s concerns in the Goa Declaration but, in the face of Chinese opposition, shied away from supporting India’s case. The result was that the declaration failed to mention the most potent form of terrorism in the world, which is state-sponsored. And while citing groups like ISIS and al-Nusra, the declaration conveniently omitted any mention of the Pakistan-based organizations that the UN has designated as terrorist entities,” he said, adding that the “anodyne” declaration called into question the utility of Brics for India. With Russia doing precious little for India, China could shield Pakistani terrorism not only at the UN Security Council but also at a multilateral summit on Indian soil. In doing so, as Chellaney said, China rode roughshod over Indian concerns and showed itself culpable in the killing of 26 Indian soldiers at Uri and Pathankot. While Russia itself has been the clear winner in terms of BRICS’ focus on security related issues, China continues to call the shots on financial issues, leading to questions about the utility of Brics for India.
China gives Modi ‘shut up’ call
China has given Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a shut-up call saying that Pakistan had given huge sacrifices to contain terrorism and the international community should respect this. Defending Pakistan against Modi’s criticism of Pakistan, Beijing said it was opposed to linking terrorism with any specific religion or community. “We oppose linking terrorism with any specific ethnicity or religion. This is our long-standing position. China and Pakistan are all-weather friends,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told the media here. “Everyone knows that India and Pakistan are victims of terrorism. Pakistan has made huge efforts and great sacrifices in fighting terrorism. I think the international community should respect this,” she added. She said China maintained a consistent position on terrorism and believed that India and Pakistan should resolve their disputes amicably, as this would also serve the interests of the whole region. To another question about Modi’s criticism that Pakistan continued to support the anti-India terrorist groups giving them arms, financial support and helping them to cross the border to carry out attacks in India and whether it was China’s view that the international community should not take a stand on Islamabad’s support to terrorists, Hua said: “I understand your concern.”
Melange Report