US, UK, France In "Intense" Talks With China Over Listing Of Masood Azhar

The US, France and the UK are believed to be in intense "good faith" discussions with China to arrive at a "compromise", including on the language on the UN designation of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, according to people familiar with the matter.

On Wednesday, China blocked for the fourth consecutive time a resolution at the UN Security Council Committee on designating Masood Azhar, head of the JeM terror group, as a global terrorist.

The proposal to designate Masood Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council was moved by France, the UK and the US on February 27, days after a suicide bomber of the JeM killed 44 CRPF soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, leading to a flare-up in tensions between India and Pakistan.

If the fresh efforts by the US, France and the UK does not end up in the formal designation of Masood Azhar, the three permanent members are planning to soon move a resolution for his listing in the most powerful wing of the UN which would be preceded by an open debate on the issue, according to people familiar with the matter.

India had expressed disappointment over the Chinese stance and the original co-sponsors of the resolution had warned they will consider "other actions" to achieve their goal.

While the internal consultations of the Security Council committee remain private, this time several Council members, frustrated at China's unreasonable stance to protect a terrorist, privately spoke to the media the negative role being played by Beijing.

"If China continues to block this designation, responsible member-states may be forced to pursue other actions at the Security Council. It shouldn't have to come to that," a Security Council diplomat told PTI on Wednesday in an unusual tough warning to Beijing.

In the last 50 hours, it is believed that the original sponsors of the Azhar resolution are having intense "good faith" consultations with China on what many familiar with the matter describe as a "compromise". This probably means Azhar would be designated as a global terrorist by the UN body, but the language of designation would include a language acceptable to China.

China is believed to have suggested "certain changes" in the language of the terrorist designation. The US, Britain and France are believed to be currently looking at the suggestions. It is understood that there is back-and-forth exchange of texts on the matter.



The three countries have indicated that they are willing to accommodate Chinese request for changes in the language as long as it does not change the substance of the resolution and it ends up designating Azhar as a UN global terrorist.

But unlike in the past, the US, France, Britain and other members of the Security Council are not willing to wait for long to conclude their discussion with China.

It is learnt that China has been informed by these countries that they are seriously looking for other options, in particular an open debate followed by a vote on a resolution to designate Azhar as a global terrorist, pretty soon.

Not months, not weeks but days. This is what Beijing has been conveyed.

At the same time, officials of these countries believe that China this time has been much more co-operative than in the past. But in case at any point the three countries get a feeling that China is not doing a good faith negotiation on the "compromise formula" that is being negotiated, they are ready with the other move.

China, after its decision to put a technical hold on the resolution, has invited criticism and its stance has also resulted in an outrage in India.

Beijing would have to calculate the risk of being isolate globally on the issue of fight against terrorism or signing off to a compromised language that would designate Azhar as a global terrorist, since except China, all other UNSC members supported the resolution.

Getting Chinese support to designate Azhar as a global terrorist, at the UN, in any format, would be considered as a terrific accomplishment. The very fact that there has been discussions going on between China and the US, Britain and France, is considered as a positive development.

Those familiar with China's working pattern are still not confident and that's the reason why they are seriously working on other options including an open debate in the Security Council, where Beijing might find it difficult to defend a terrorist in public.

US ,China trade boost to Indian economy

The trade war between the US and China is expected to boost the Indian economy with a rise of 3.5 per cent in exports while the EU will be the biggest winner, taking home $70 billion in additional trade, according to a UN study. Amid tit for tat tariff hikes between Washington and Beijing, trade is being diverted and a handful of countries will capture a slice of the giants' exports, said the report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on Monday.

"Substantial effects relative to the size of their exports are expected for Australia, Brazil, India, the Philippines, Pakistan and Vietnam," it said. The report, titled "The Trade Wars: The Pain and the Gain", said that "bilateral tariffs alter global competitiveness to the advantage of firms operating in countries not directly affected by them".

The study found that European exports will grow by $70 billion, while Japan, Canada and Mexico will see exports increase by more than $20 billion each.

"Countries that are expected to benefit the most from US-China tensions are those which are more competitive and have the economic capacity to replace US and Chinese firms," the UNCTAD said.

Washington and Beijing are locked in a damaging trade row that has seen both sides levy tariffs on billions of dollars worth of one another's goods. In December, both countries agreed to hold off on new tariffs for 90 days to allow for talks.

They have a deadline of March 1 to strike a deal, or the US has said it will increase tariff rates on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods from 10 per cent to 25 per cent. The trade war will also have a number of negative effects on global trade, especially within certain markets, the UNCTAD said.

The report said that there will be huge costs if the trade war intensified and that Asian countries were likely to suffer most from protectionism. "The implications are going to be massive... The implications for the entire international trading system will be significantly negative," said Pamela Coke-Hamilton, UNCTAD's Head of International Trade, at a news conference.

Smaller and poorer countries would struggle to cope with the external shocks, she said and added that the higher cost of the US-China trade would prompt companies to shift away from current East Asian supply chains.

According to the UNCTAD report, East Asian producers will be hit the hardest, with a projected $160 billion contraction in the region's exports. It also warned that the effects could be felt everywhere.

"There'll be currency wars and devaluation, stagflation leading to job losses and higher unemployment and more importantly, the possibility of a contagion effect, or what we call a reactionary effect, leading to a cascade of other trade distortionary measures," Coke-Hamilton said

US ,regional powers recognise Madoro opponent Juan guaido as Venezuela leader

The United States and major South American nations recognised Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim leader Wednesday while the EU called for free elections to restore democracy, leaving President Nicolas Maduro increasingly isolated. Major regional players Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Argentina all gave their backing to Guaido's self-proclamation as acting president, which he made in front of crowd of tens of thousands of supporters in the capital Caracas. 

Cuba, however, sprang to the defence of its socialist ally, expressing "solidarity" with Maduro while Mexico extended lukewarm support to him. The avalanche of support for Guaido dramatically raised the stakes in Venezuela, an oil-rich nation that has become deeply impoverished under Maduro.

Maduro has clung to power through the support of the Venezuelan military, and he is an ally of Russia, which last month sent two nuclear-capable bombers to the country to participate in a military drill.

Just minutes after Guaido's declaration, US President Donald Trump recognised him as interim leader, and declared his National Assembly was "the only legitimate branch of government duly elected by the Venezuelan people".

"The people of Venezuela have courageously spoken out against Maduro and his regime and demanded freedom and the rule of law," Trump said. The US said it stood ready to use "all options" if Maduro tries to quash the opposition, in what was an implied threat of military force.

Maduro responded by saying he was cutting off diplomatic ties with Washington, as his riot police clashed with opposition supporters in Caracas. "Get Out! Leave Venezuela. Here we have dignity, damn it," Maduro said, giving US diplomats 72 hours to depart.

But Guaido tweeted in response that, under him, Venezuela wants countries "to maintain their diplomatic presence in our country". And the US State Department said "former president Maduro" did not have the authority to sever relations.

- Broadening support -
Tweeting from the Swiss ski resort of Davos, where he and other leaders were attending the World Economic Forum, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said: "Brazil recognises Mr. Juan Guaido as Venezuela's interim president."

He added that "Brazil will support politically and economically the process of transition so that democracy and social peace return to Venezuela". Bolsonaro, a far-right former paratrooper who has set about forging close ties with the Trump administration since taking power at the beginning of January, has repeatedly vowed to challenge Maduro in any way he can.

He initially said he was open to discussing Brazil hosting a US military base, before changing his mind when the idea sparked objections from his military brass. Colombian President Ivan Duque, another US ally also at Davos, told reporters his country was behind Guaido and will "accompany this process of transition to democracy so that the Venezuelan people free themselves of their dictatorship".

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland expressed her country's "full support" for Guaido, adding: "It's an important day for Venezuela and I'm grateful for the solidarity of the Lima Group in speaking out on this."

Eleven members of the 14-nation Lima Group -- Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay and Peru -- later issued a joint statement endorsing Guaido as interim president.

The three holdouts included Mexico, which has maintained a principle of non-intervention under leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, as well as Guyana and Saint Lucia. The United States is not a member but supports the group, which has taken an increasingly strident stance against Maduro, whom it sees as anti-democratic.

The European Union did not join the countries lining up behind Guaido but called for "free and credible elections".

"The EU strongly calls for the start of an immediate political process leading to free and credible elections, in conformity with the constitutional order," the bloc's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement.

The bloc and its member states "remain ready to support the restoration of democracy and rule of law in Venezuela through a credible peaceful political process in line with the Venezuelan constitution", she added.

And EU Council President Donald Tusk tweeted that "I hope that all of Europe will unite in support of democratic forces in Venezuela".

He added: "Unlike Maduro, the parliamentary assembly, including Juan Guaido have a democratic mandate from Venezuelan citizens