The move might also ease Beijing’s long-held concerns over the region’s fatal terrorist attacks that often target Chinese, analysts added.
On Monday, the US Department of State added “the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its alias, the Majeed Brigade”, to its list of foreign terrorist organisations (FTO).
“Today’s action taken by the Department of State demonstrates the Trump administration’s commitment to countering terrorism. Terrorist designations play a critical role in our fight against this scourge and are an effective way to curtail support for terrorist activities,” a department press release said.
“[It] opens a window for China to cooperate with the US on counterterrorism through Pakistan,” said Abdul Basit, an associate research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
