Could the US’ hard line on the BLA terror group make Chinese safer in Pakistan?
The counterterrorism cause in Pakistan could be a way for China and the United States to work together, observers say
US counterterrorism efforts in Pakistan could improve security in the South Asian country for Chinese workers, who have been the repeated targets of separatist groups in recent years, according to observers.
It could also open the way for China to work with the US via Pakistan on a common counterterrorism cause, they said.
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.
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“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,” the department said.
“[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.