China explores security cooperation with Pakistan, India: report

Beijing is exploring a trilateral security cooperation with its neighbouring countries India and Pakistan, said a report published on NDTV on Friday. Journalists representing the Global Times, an affiliate of the ruling Communist Party of China’s (CPC) People’s Daily publication group, paid a visit to Pakistan and sought views from scholars of Islamabad Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) on a likely India-China-Pakistan trilateral cooperation. Analysts based in Beijing consider it a vital initiative on China’s part to further its relations with India over rising concerns of the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and the possible shattering effect it could posit to the region, particularly China’s Xinjiang province where security forces were currently engaged in dealing with attacks launched by the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM). "So far no formal trilateral meeting has taken place, but the idea sounds excellent," Najam Rafique, senior IISS research fellow told NDTV about the joint trilateral mechanism. Before that, a lot of ground needs to be covered, particularly in terms of India and Pakistan, he said. "China can play a role in ensuring that both countries are able to disperse the historical barricades and move in terms of ensuring the security which is going to be based on not traditional military security, but economic, social and popular security in the region," he said. Meanwhile, scholar Ahmed Rashid said China and Pakistan were currently building the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor whereas China was also developing the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor. He said the Chinese policy would pave way for better investment and economic relations in the region while also creating further room for cooperation. Whereas analyst Malik Khokhar said a joint mechanism should be set up in order to reduce military hostilities among the three nations. He said that in the absence of the mechanism, there would be unending competition because if India would compete against China, then it would definitely have more than enough capability to compete against Pakistan. Scholar Rana Anjum said it was hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in India would work with China and Pakistan for greater prosperity in the region.