BEIJING: China today backed its all-weather ally Pakistan and called on theinternational community to support its counter terrorism efforts afterPrime Minister Narendra Modi described the neighbouring country as a”terror export factory”.
“Terrorism is the enemy faced by all. The international community shouldwork together to fight against it,” foreign ministry spokesperson HuaChunying said during a media briefing here, when asked about China’sresponse to Modi terming Pakistan as a “terror export factory” during aspeech in London.
“We hope the international community could support the efforts made byPakistan in counter terrorism and forge effective cooperation with it inthat regard,” Hua said putting up a strong defence for China’s all-weatherally.
While speaking at the ‘Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath’ programme at the iconicCentral Hall Westminster in London on Wednesday, warning Pakistan, Modi hadsaid India will not tolerate those who export terror and will respond tothem in the language they understand, referring to the 2016 surgicalstrikes conducted across the LoC.
“When someone has put a terror export factory in place and makes attemptsto attack us from the back, Modi knows how to answer in the same language,”he had said.
Hua’s comment also came ahead of the meeting of the Foreign Ministers ofthe Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) here, to be held early nextweek.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is arriving here tomorrow to takepart in the meeting to be held on April 24. She is due to meet her Chinesecounterpart Wang Yi on Sunday.
Separately Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman too will attend the SCODefence Ministers meeting on the same day.
These are the first meetings of the SCO after India and Pakistan wereadmitted into the eight-member group in which China and Russia plays aninfluential role.
Both events are to be attended by the respective Ministers from Pakistan.SCO consists China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan,Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Modi is also due to attend this year’s SCO summit to be held in the Chinesecity of Qingdao in June.
Hua said issues related to terrorism will be discussed at the meeting ofSCO Foreign Ministers.