China firmly supports Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty and fighting terrorism, President Xi Jinping told Pakistani PM Imran Khan on Sunday with both leaders agreeing to carry forward the “in-depth” development of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project. It’s a flagship project under Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which passes through Pakistan-Kashmir.
Xi met Khan in Beijing at the Great Hall of the People on Sunday, the first meeting between the two leaders since the latter’s visit to China in October 2019.
Xi said China is willing to work with Pakistan to accelerate the building of a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era and expand cooperation in fields such as technology, industry and agriculture. “China and Pakistan should carry forward the tradition of mutual trust, mutual assistance and cooperation, and carry out more extensive and in-depth strategic cooperation,” Xi was quoted as saying by the Xinhua news agency, on Sunday.
Xi said the “strategic significance of China-Pakistan” relations is getting more prominent since the world has entered a period of turbulence and transformation.
“Both sides reiterated that a peaceful and prosperous South Asia is in the common interest of all parties,” said a joint statement issued at the end of Khan’s visit to China to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
“They emphasised the importance of pursuit of dialogue and resolution of all outstanding disputes to promote regional cooperation and advance the goals of lasting peace, stability and shared prosperity in the region,” it said.
“The Pakistan side briefed the Chinese side on the latest developments on the situation in Jammu & Kashmir, including its concerns, position and pressing issues at the moment.
The Chinese side reiterated that the Kashmir issue was a dispute left from history, and should be properly and peacefully resolved based on the UN Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements. China opposes any unilateral actions that complicate the situation,” it said.
While the readout from Xinhua made no mention of it, the government-run national news agency, Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported from Beijing that Khan complained to Xi about India.
Khan, according to the APP report, told Xi that India’s “rapid militarisation” was undermining regional stability, and complained about the “persecution of minorities in India”.
“PM Imran underlined that the partnership between Pakistan and China was an anchor for peace and stability in the region, and thanked China for its unwavering support to Pakistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and national development,” the report said.
Khan had similarly complained about New Delhi to Premier Li Keqiang when the two met on Saturday.
On Friday, Pakistan signed a new agreement with China to begin the second phase of the $60 billion CPEC with Khan showering praise on the controversial project, saying it has strategic significance for both the countries and delivering tangible benefits to the people.
Khan was in China with a high-level delegation comprising foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, finance minister Shaukat Tarin, planning minister Asad Umar, information minister Fawad Chaudhry, national security adviser Moeed Yousaf, commerce advisor Abdul Razak Dawood and special assistant on CPEC Khalid Mansoor.
A report by the US-based international development research lab AidData said last year that a substantial chunk of Chinese development financing under the CPEC consists of loans that are at or near commercial rates as opposed to grants.
According to the report, Islamabad received about half of all Chinese development finance in the form of “export buyer’s credit”, or money lent by Chinese institutions to Pakistan in order to facilitate the purchase of equipment and goods to be bought by Chinese implementation partners.
As much as 40% of China’s lending to Pakistan do not appear on the government’s books “for the most part”, the report, quoted by Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper said.
