BEIJING: China on Monday condemned the armed attack on the Pathankot air base, and hoped that it will fail in its objective of disrupting the new momentum in India-Pakistan ties.
“We condemn this attack… At this juncture, this attack might have been launched intentionally to disrupt this momentum [in Indo-Pak ties]. Many media reports have such doubts..,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a media briefing in response to a question on the strike.
Ms. Hua said that there were “signs of improvement” in New Delhi-Islamabad ties, which was welcomed by all sides. In an apparent reference to the Lahore meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, Ms. Hua noted, citing media reports “that the meeting between Indian and Pakistan leaders was very successful”.
Ms. Hua signaled that an India and Pakistan should step up their dialogue to counter terrorism in a comprehensive manner. “We believe that India and Pakistan should work together to maintain positive momentum. (The Hindu)