As the United States vows to strengthen counterterrorism efforts with Pakistan and take a hard line against Pakistani separatist groups, experts suggest it could open a rare window in the South Asian country for Sino-US cooperation.
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The move might also ease Beijing’s long-held concerns over the region’s fatal terrorist attacks that often target Chinese, analysts added.
On Monday, the US Department of State added “the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its alias, the Majeed Brigade”, to its list of foreign terrorist organisations (FTO).
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Massive blast in Karachi kills 2 Chinese nationals as separatist group claims responsibility
Massive blast in Karachi kills 2 Chinese nationals as separatist group claims responsibility
The BLA and its suicide bomb squad, Majeed Brigade, will face an asset freeze and restrictions on material support, with the measures taking effect upon publication in the US Federal Register.
“Today’s action taken by the Department of State demonstrates the Trump administration’s commitment to countering terrorism. Terrorist designations play a critical role in our fight against this scourge and are an effective way to curtail support for terrorist activities,” a department press release said.
The announcement came soon after Washington issued a joint statement with Islamabad on counterterrorism, drawing attention to prominent militant groups the BLA, Isis-Khorasan and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). All three have posed a significant threat to Chinese investment in Pakistan.
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“[It] opens a window for China to cooperate with the US on counterterrorism through Pakistan,” said Abdul Basit, an associate research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.