Value Pakistan’s position on Kashmir, hope for resolution through talks: China

China on Thursday said it “attaches importance” to Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir but hoped that New Delhi and Islamabad resolve the issue through dialogue and consultation to “safeguard” peace and stability in the region.

China said that it values Pakistan’s position on Kashmir but hopes that Islamabad and New Delhi will resolve the dispute through dialogue and “maintain regional peace and stability by joint efforts”.

Chinese and Pakistan troops jointly patrolling the border connecting PoK with Xinjiang region. China’s vice-foreign minister Liu Zhenmin said China wants “relevant parties” to resolve the issue through consultation, during an interaction with a Pakistani delegation on Kashmir. (Photo courtesy PLA website)

The tension in Kashmir escalated in July with the death of more than 80 people, mostly civilians, in the protest against the killing of a militant. Ties between India and Pakistan nosedived further after the terror attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri that killed 18 soldiers earlier this month.

New Delhi has pointed fingers at Islamabad for aiding and abetting terror attacks and inciting protests in Kashmir and launched a global campaign against Pakistan, accusing it to be the hub of terrorism in the world.

Reacting to India’s latest round of campaigning and seeking urgent support from “all weather ally” and benefactor China, Pakistan dispatched two Kashmir envoys to Beijing on Wednesday to meet the Chinese leadership.

Parliamentarians Khusro Bakhtiar and Alamdad Laleka – designated as envoys for Kashmir to China – met vice-foreign minister Liu Zhenmin on Wednesday as a part of Pakistan’s international outreach drum up support against India.

“Liu listened to Pakistani envoys’ briefings on the Kashmir condition and Pakistan’s standpoint on related issues, and emphasised that China has been concerned about the Kashmir condition and attaches importance to Pakistan’s standpoint on related issues,” the MFA statement in Chinese said.

“…the Kashmir issue has been a historical issue and should be appropriately handled with talks and negotiations from relevant sides,” the MFA statement quoted Liu as saying

“Liu expressed China’s expectations that Pakistan and India would intensify bilateral communications, appropriately manage differences, improve the bilateral relations and maintain regional peace and stability by joint efforts,” the MFA statement added.

Read: China denies its diplomat assured Pakistan of Beijing’s support in case of war

In August, Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif had nominated 22 parliamentarians as “special envoys” to highlight the Kashmir situation across the world.

Earlier this week, China denied any knowledge that one of its senior diplomats has assured Pakistan of Beijing’s support in case of war with India besides being on Islamabad’s side on the Kashmir dispute.

Last week, Chinese consul general in Lahore Yu Boren was quoted as saying that China will extend support to Pakistan in a case of “foreign aggression”.

When asked about Yu’s categorical statement, the ministry of foreign affairs (MFA) had brushed it aside.

“I am not aware of the situation you mentioned,” MFA spokesperson Geng Shuang said at the regular presser on Monday.

China had, however, said in July that it was “concerned” about the mounting casualties in Kashmir.