Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group chief Azhar

NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi in the backdrop of Wuhan spirit will nudge Chinese President Xi Jinping -- when they meet on sidelines of BRICS Summit in Johannesburg this week -- to review the stand taken by China at UN on the issue of bringing Pak-based terror operatives including Masood Azhar under international sanctions.

The PM is likely to convey to the Chinese President that Beijing's support to Delhi to bring terrorists under the UN sanctions would help his government garner more domestic support to continue efforts to improve ties with China, according to experts on the subject.

India may make a fresh attempt soon to get JeM chief under UN sanctions if it receives a positive response from China. One of the outcomes of the informal summit at Wuhan in April was the recognition by both leaders of “the common threat posed by terrorism”. China since 2009-10 has blocked India's attempts to obtain UN sanctions on key terrorists based in Pakistan, including Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Azhar.

This is going to be the third meeting between the two leaders this year, after the “informal summit” at Wuhan in April and on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's summit at Qingdao in eastern China in June. The “informal summit” at Wuhan would be followed up by another informal summit in India next year.

Modi and Xi would utilise the forthcoming meeting in Johannesburg to review the outcomes of the series of bilateral engagements the two nations had after the “informal summit” they held in Wuhan in April.

At the Wuhan Summit the two leaders had not only reiterated their “strong condemnation of and resolute opposition to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations”, but had also committed themselves to cooperate on counter-terrorism.

Modi and Xi will also discuss the US' trade war and its protectionist trade policy, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in Beijing last week. "They will exchange views on the international landscape, BRICS cooperation and other issues of mutual interest. As for the US trade protectionism and unilateralism, it has aroused wide concerns from the international community. China and India uphold multilateralism and free trade and the open world economy. They hold consensus and common interests in this aspect. I think the leaders will exchange views on the issue of common interests including this issue. This is also the consensus of the BRICS countries," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said commenting on Modi-Xi meeting in South Africa.

While China is locked in a trade dispute with the US, which accuses Beijing of dodgy business practices, Delhi last month decided to hike tariffs on 30 US products in retaliation to American President Donald Trump's decision to slap more taxes on Indian steel and aluminium.