BEIJING: China on Tuesday said it has told India many times that it has issues in declaring Pakistan-based Masood Azhar a global terrorist and it will take its own call on the merits of the matter, a day after New Delhi nudged Beijing again to blacklist him.

Beijing denied giving shelter to Paresh Baruah, the chief of banned Indian outfit ULFA, saying it does not interfere in domestic affairs of other countries.

At a high-level meet between Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh and his visiting Chinese counterpart Zhao Kezhi, New Delhi urged Beijing to back its pending application at the UN to list LeT chief Azhar as an international terrorist.

“As to India’s request for the listing of Masood Azhar, we have already stated our position many times. On the issue of counter-terrorism, China has always actively participated in international anti-terrorist operations,” Chinese Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Hua Chunying said.

“We have always made our judgment and decisions on the merits of the matter itself,” Hua added.

Azhar is the mastermind of the deadly attack at an Indian Army base in 2016. He also plotted the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

China, Pakistan‘s main ally, has repeatedly blocked India’s application at the UN to get him declared an international terrorist. It says there is not enough evidence against Azhar, frustrating India.

This has become one of the major issues between New Delhi and Beijing.

Asked about India telling China at the same meeting not to give shelter to Baruah, Hu said: “The Chinese government has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in other countries’ affairs. This remains unchanged.”

Baruah is reportedly making frequent visits to China and smuggles arms to India’s Northeast.