China on Friday categorically said that it needs 'solid evidence' to back India's efforts to get a United Nation's (UN) ban on the Pakistani leader Masood Azhar. The reminder on the contagious issue comes barely days before India and China are slated to start new round strategic dialogue on Feb.22.

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India is most likely going to use the 'strategic dialogue' as a diplomatic platform to once again urge China to Change its rigid stance on Azhar issue, after it repeatedly thwarted India's application in UN seeking ban on the controversial Pakistani leader.

"Our criteria is only one, we need solid evidence. If there is solid evidence the application can be approved. If there is no solid evidence there is hardly consensus," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told reporters.        

Geng claimed that China has played fair on the Azhar issue as he once gain reminded that Beijing "upholds principles of objectivity, impartiality and professionalism and takes part in relevant discussions."

Analysts say that China's repeated emphasis on being impartial must be seen from the context of its latest technical hold on Azhar's application, which was moved by the U.S earlier this month. This was first time that the U.S moved an application in U.N on the Masood Azhar issue, believed to have been done at the behest of India.          

India reportedly turned to the U.S under presumption that China may support the U.S backed application. But New Delhi's move failed, as Beijing once imposed a technical ban on Azhar's application.

The Azhar issue has became a thorny issue between the two Asian giants as none of them seems to be interested in moving from their rigid stance. For China, maintaining pressure on New Delhi on this sticky issue is important for supporting its regional ally Pakistan.

The Indian government has constantly accused that the Pakistani leader has been involved in many deadly terrorist attacks on its country, including the 2002 attack on the Indian parliament.

Meanwhile, China also said that it won't change its stance on the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) issue as well. It reiterated that entry of non-NPT member like India in the elite nuclear club is difficult.    

Tagschina, India, Masood Azhar., China and India