BEIJING: Ahead of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctionscommittee meeting later this week, which will take up the case ofJaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) Chief Maulana Masood Azhar, China has stressed“responsible and serious discussion”.

On Saturday, India urged UNSC members to label Azhar as a global terrorist,pointing out that all the members of the group were aware of JeM trainingcamps and the presence of Azhar in Pakistan.

However, China on Monday gave no indication that it is likely to change itsstand on Masood Azhar in the UN committee that meets on Wednesday to voteon designating head of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) group as an internationalterrorist.

In response to a question on Beijing’s position in the upcoming March 13meeting of the UN Security Council’s 1267 committee, Chinese foreignministry spokesperson Lu Kang stuck to the position that the securitycouncil, as the “main body” of the UN system does not take its decisionssuperficially. “First I would like to say that the UNSC as a main body ofthe UN has strict standards and rules of procedures,” Lu said. He alsosignalled that the die had not been cast on Azhar’s designation, just yet.“Some reports have knowledge of inside information the UNSC. I don’t knowthat can be counted as evidence,” Lu observed.

China has on three occasions placed a “technical hold” on Azhar’sdesignation as a global terrorist in the 1267 committee. Yet anotherattempt on the JeM chief’s designation, led by the United States, Franceand Britain has begun following the February 14 Pulwama attack in whichmore than 40 CRPF personnel were killed.