China wants Pakistan to lead Muslim world

ISLAMABAD: China has risen to the support of Pakistan and wants the country to lead the Islamic world as the only Muslim nuclear-armed state, foreign media reported.

China seems to be an active force behind shifting of alliances. Beijing is close to finalising a massive 25-year strategic partnership deal with Tehran worth $400 billion in Chinese investment in Iran. China has the opportunity to make inroads in the Muslim world and to expand its influence.

Earlier, under pressure from a Gulf country, Pakistan had pulled out of an international summit of Muslim leaders held in Malaysia. The summit was hosted by Malaysia’s then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad in Kuala Lumpur and attended by dozens of world leaders, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to discuss current issues in the Muslim world.