Qureshi in Beijing to attend FMs’ strategic dialogue today

BEIJING: The first China-Pakistan strategic dialogue at the foreign ministers level will be held here on Tuesday (today), with China’s State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi co-chairing the dialogue with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

This was announced by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a regular news briefing. The two sides will exchange views on China-Pakistan relations and international and regional issues of common concern.

“In recent times India-Pakistan relations and regional situation has been tense,” the spokesman said, adding: “I think the two sides will naturally also touch this issue in the dialogue.”

Regarding the issue of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, he said: “The position of the Chinese side is already very clear. I 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.

“As a friendly neighbour of India and Pakistan, China actively promotes peace and promotes talks and has played a constructive role in easing tensions in the near future,” Shuang said. The spokesman said China welcomed the latest interaction between India and Pakistan on Kartarpur corridor and hoped the relevant progress will help further promote the easing of India-Pakistan relations and the development of the regional situation.

Shuang said: “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 Muslim countries, the spokesperson said China and the countries concerned carried 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,” he added.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 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation not long ago have made a very fair judgment”.