Why China Supported Pakistan on Masood Azhar?

Why China Supported Pakistan on Azhar?

Firstly, China has invested billions of dollars in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. the ISI has resorted to a strategy where around 30 to 40 percent of the ground workers working on Chinese infrastructure projects in CPEC in Pakistan belong to JeM, LeT, and Hizbut Tahrir. 

Through this, ISI has ensured that China does not take any hostile step (like the Azhar issue) against Pakistan. If China did any such thing which was hostile to Pakistan, the ISI could use their assets in CPEC to create mayhem against China and their infrastructure projects in Pakistan, thereby undermining the brightest jewel of Xi, the BRI. By establishing a good relation with ISI and its proxy JeM, China is able to get insurance from Pakistan that these groups will not target Chinese infrastructure in Pakistan.

Secondly, because of Chinese suppression and control of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang province, there is widespread resentment against China in the Muslim world, and groups like Baloch separatists and Pakistan Taliban have been attacking Chinese in Pakistan. So, by supporting groups like JeM and LeT, China is able to ensure the safety of its infrastructure.

Thirdly, the Chinese have a deal with extremists groups in the region. The deal is that till the time these Afghan and Pakistan (proxy) groups do not train Uyghur Muslims, China will not penalize them regionally and internationally.

Fourthly, as India has refused to participate in the BRI, China has decided to take revenge by bogging India down in South Asia on issues like Azhar. Such tactics are an indirect message by China to US that China is not comfortable to see deepening of Indo-US ties (rise of Indo-Pacific and Quad).