President Xi Jinping on Wednesday assured Prime Minister Imran Khan thatthe friendship between China and Pakistan is “unbreakable and rock-solid”despite changes in the international and regional situation.
Xi made the remarks when he met Khan at the Diaoyutai State Guesthousehere, two days before he leaves for India to hold the second informalsummit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Xi said China is ready to work with Pakistan to forge a closerChina-Pakistan community of shared future in the new era, state-run Xinhuanews agency quoted him as saying.
Noting that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperativepartners, Xi said, “No matter how the international and regional situationchanges, the friendship between China and Pakistan has always beenunbreakable and rock-solid, and China-Pakistan cooperation has alwaysmaintained strong vitality.”
Khan’s visit to China, third since he took over as Prime Minister in Augustlast year, acquires significance as it comes ahead of President Xi’shigh-profile visit to India for the second informal summit with PrimeMinister Modi at Mamallapuram near Chennai on October 11 and 12.
Khan’s visit to Beijing comes at a time when tensions have spiked betweenPakistan and India after New Delhi ended the special status of Jammu andKashmir on August 5.
Beijing, the all-weather ally of Islamabad, has backed Pakistan over theKashmir issue, with its Foreign Minister Wang Yi in his address to the UNGeneral Assembly saying, “no actions that would unilaterally change thestatus quo should be taken”.
However, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang on Tuesday said theKashmir issue should be resolved between New Delhi and Islamabad,significantly omitting its recent references to the UN and UN SecurityCouncil resolutions.
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Geng’s comments marked a significant shift on what China has been saying onKashmir in recent weeks in the aftermath of India’s move to revoke Article370 of the Constitution.
India has categorically told the international community that its move toscrap Article 370 of the Constitution revoking the special status to Jammuand Kashmir was an internal matter. India maintains Kashmir is a bilateralissue and no third party has any role in it.
During his meeting with Khan, Xi said China sincerely hopes to helpPakistan develop faster and better.
China and Pakistan have a fine tradition of mutual support and assistance,Xi said, according to Xinhua.Advertisement
Noting that Pakistan used to provide “selfless help” to China when Chinawas in difficulties, Xi said now that China has developed, it sincerelyhopes to help Pakistan develop faster and better.
In Islamabad, the PM Office in a press release said Khan thanked Xi and theChinese government for its “principled stance” on the Kashmir issue.
