China ‘happy’ over India-Pakistan ‘active interactions’: FM spokesman

 Beijing, March 29

China said on Monday that it was “happy” over the recent “active interactions” between Pakistan and India, indicating that it would like to work with Islamabad to inject “more positive energy” into regional peace, stability and development.

The militaries of India and Pakistan announced on February 25 that they have agreed to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and other sectors.

Weeks later, both Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan and powerful Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa made peace overtures towards New Delhi saying it was time for the two neighbours to “bury the past and move forward”.

“We are happy about the active interactions between Pakistan and India,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here in response to a question.

“We would like to work with Pakistan to inject more positive energy into regional peace and stability as well as development,” he said.

Zhao was responding to a question on Pakistan President Arif Alvi’s remark that China is his country’s “closest and friendliest friend” during his speech at the Pakistan Day parade on March 25.

While welcoming Alvi’s remark, Zhao also referred to the recent rapprochement between India and Pakistan to dial down the tensions between the two countries.

“China expresses warm congratulations on the 82nd Pakistan Day. We believe that Pakistani Government and people will make further progress on national building and revitalisation,” he said, adding that Beijing “highly appreciates” President Alvi’s remarks.

“China also values the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries,” he said.

“I would like to take the opportunity of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties to work with Pakistan to fight coronavirus and carry forward our traditional friendship to expand our all dimensional cooperation and build a closer China-Pakistan community of shared future in a new era,” the spokesman said. PTI

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