China’s state councillor and minister of Public security, Zhao Kezhi will be visiting India in the recent future. This visit of the Chinese official will give India the opportunity to secure a bilateral-pact with China on security cooperation. A Chinese military team is also expected to visit India this month to resume the halted military-to-military talks.
During India’s Home Minister Ranath Singh’s visit to China in 2015, the two countries were scheduled to sign an ‘umbrella’ agreement on security cooperation but it could not be signed back then. Another opportunity to sign a security pact with China was lost when China’s Communist party’s politburo member Meng Jianzhu visited India in 2016.
In 2017, a few months before the infamous Doklam standoff, Beijing returned India’s draft urging the Indian side to re-draft the proposal and suggested a sector-wise approach to agreements instead of an umbrella agreement in the field of intelligence, human trafficking, narcotics, and Terrorism.
India is currently deliberating China’s proposal of creating a counter-terrorism partnership. The Indian side hopes to obtain some information from the Chinese side about Jaish-e-Muhammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar, who was not included in the UN’s global terrorist list because of the Chinese veto.
The pact can also be fruitful in pinpointing ULFA leader Paresh Barua, who is also believed to receive support from the Chinese establishment.
In recent years, India has been successful with its diplomatic dealings with the dragon. In 2017, BRICS summit in Xiamen, China named and shamed Pakistan terror groups LeT and JeM, a long-time demand from India. This year at FATF meet, China supported India’s bid to greylist Pakistan for terror funding.
Besides terrorism, India is willing to set up a mechanism for cooperation in tackling transnational crimes, cybercrime, and establishment of a 24×7 hotline to exchange information with China.