China urges India, Pakistan to resolve disputes through dialogue, consultation

After the Indian armed forces conducted surgical strikes last night on terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) to neutralise terrorists planning to infiltrate into the Indian territory, China on Thursday without mentioning the Indian Army's foray urged both India and Pakistan to properly resolve relevant disputes through dialogue and consultation.

"China is a friendly neighbour to India and Pakistan. China always hopes that India and Pakistan can properly resolve relevant disputes through dialogue and consultation, improve bilateral relations, strengthen all-round cooperation and jointly promote regional peace, stability, and development," said a statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Office here on Thursday.

On Pakistan special envoys on Jammu and Kashmir Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar and Alam Dad Laleka's meeting with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin on September 28, the Chinese Foreign Office said, "Zhenmin listened to Pakistani envoys' briefings on the situation in Kashmir and Pakistan's standpoint, and emphasised that China has been following the Kashmir situation and takes seriously Pakistan's position on Kashmir."

"China believes that the Kashmir issue is a left-over from history, which shall be resolved by relevant parties through dialogue and consultation. China hopes that Pakistan and India will strengthen channels for dialogue, properly handle their differences, improve bilateral relations and together protect the regional peace and stability," it added.

Speaking on the China-India Counter-Terrorism Security Dialogue on September 27, the Chinese Foreign Office said, "The two sides exchanged views on how to enhance counter-terrorism security cooperation and jointly meet security threats. Important consensus was reached."

With regard to India-Pakistan tension, the statement said, "China is in touch with both India and Pakistan through various channels. We hope that they can carry out dialogues to properly resolve disputes and maintain regional peace and security. We have released information of this security dialogue."

Holding the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as an "important mechanism for promoting cooperation and development of South Asia", the statement said, "China, as an observer state of SAARC, has been a long-term supporter of the SAARC cooperation process. We hope that SAARC will continue to move ahead and play a constructive role for regional peace, stability, prosperity and development."

Recalling the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) predictions that "the BRICS countries are important engines driving the world economic growth", China said, "When the world economic recovery is feeble and unbalanced, the BRICS countries still boast great potential and a bright prospect for growth. There is so much to be expected. Their contributions to the world economy are indispensable."

"When leaders of the BRICS countries meet for the Eighth Summit in Goa, India, in October, we hope that we can uphold the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness, cooperation and win-win results, strengthen partnership, deepen practical cooperation, and make joint efforts to promote a strong, sustained and balanced economic growth and improve global governance," the Chinese Foreign Office added.