Masood Azhar, other issues: China to maintain close contact with Pakistan, India

BEIJING: Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said the position of the Chinese side on Masood Azhar issue is already very clear and he will not repeat it.

He, however, emphasised that China will continue to handle this matter in a constructive and responsible manner and maintain close communication with all parties, including India and Pakistan.

First China-Pakistan strategic dialogue at the foreign ministers’ level will be held here on Tuesday. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will co-chair the dialogue with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, this was announced by a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Geng Shuang at a regular news briefing. The two sides will exchange views on the China-Pakistan relations and international and regional issues of common concern.

According to the spokesperson, in recent times, India-Pakistan relations and regional situation have been tense. “I think the two sides will naturally also touch this issue in the dialogue,” he added.

Geng Shuang further said, as a friendly neighbor of India and Pakistan, China actively promotes peace and promotes talks and has played a constructive role in easing tensions in the near future. China will continue to encourage India and Pakistan to move in the same direction, resolve differences through dialogue, and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.

China welcomes the latest interaction between India and Pakistan on Kartarpur Corridor. He hoped that the relevant progress will help further promote the easing of India-Pakistan relations and the development of the regional situation.

India and Pakistan are neighbours who cannot move. It is in the fundamental interests of both sides to live in harmony with each other and is also the common expectation of the international community.

It is hoped that the two sides will continue to interpret goodwill and move in the same direction, to resolve differences through dialogue, improve relations, and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.

To a question about China’s investment in the Muslim countries, the spokesperson said China and the countries concerned carry out mutually beneficial cooperation, especially under the framework of the “Belt and Road”, adhering to the principle of sharing. All participating countries voluntarily participate and benefit from it. This has nothing to do with the attitude of these countries on the issue of Xinjiang.

As for China’s position on the issue of Xinjiang, he said “We have stated it many times that the Chinese side has adopted preventive counter-terrorism and de-extremism measures in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The international community has public opinion on this. The relevant resolutions adopted by the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation not long ago have made a very fair judgment.”