China rejects reports of training Pak soldiers

China on Monday dismissed reports suggesting that its army was training Pakistani soldiers along the Line of Control with India, saying that the reports were groundless.

China on Monday dismissed reports suggesting that its army was training Pakistani soldiers along the Line of Control (LoC) with India, saying that the reports were groundless.

“There are no facts backing relevant reports,” Hong Lei, foreign ministry spokesperson, said in a one line reply at the regular press briefing here on Monday.

Media outlets in India had carried a report, quoting Border Security Force sources that its intelligence wing had learnt that People’s Liberation Army (PLA) personnel were training Pakistani forces in “weapon handling” opposite the Rajaouri sector along India-Pakistan border.

Earlier this year, the Chinese foreign ministry had defended the presence of Chinese personnel in Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (POK), saying their presence was not targeted against any third country.

The Chinese personnel were only involved in “cooperative activities” with the locals, the foreign ministry had said.