Pakistan, China again rake up Kashmir, reaffirm commitment to CPEC after India’s jibe

Pakistan and China held their fourth edition of the Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue on Saturday where both affirmed to continue their commitment to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a day after India criticised the multi-billion-dollar infrastructure project.

Not only that, but the meeting also found mention of the Kashmir issue, with Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari appreciating China’s “principled and just stance” well as its “firm support for Pakistan’s territorial integrity”, reports Dawn newspaper.

Bilawal met his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang in Islamabad. Both ministers concluded their Shanghai Corporation Organisation (SCO) meeting in India’s southern Goa state on Friday.

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“Pakistan and China have reiterated their abiding commitment to the high-quality development ofChina Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC) project,” state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

Earlier in the day, Bilawal while addressing a delegation-level meeting with China, said, “We deeply appreciate China’s firm support for Pakistan’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and national development as well as China’s principled and just stance on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.”

It comes a day after India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar issued stern remarks on the CPEC project at a press conference after the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting.

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“On the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, I think it was made very clear, not once but twice in the SCO meeting, that connectivity is good for progress, but connectivity cannot violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

India has consistently raised its objections to the CPEC connectivity project that runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

India says that CPEC will give China access to the Arabian Sea through the Gwadar port in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.

Moreover, it has previously criticised statements by Pakistani and Chinese leaders on the Kashmir issue, saying that New Delhirejected their unwarranted references to the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

During the meeting in Islamabad, Bilawal termed the Pakistan-China friendship as “irreversible”, “a historic reality”, and a “consensus choice of the two nations”. He added: “Pakistan remains against bloc politics or great power competition of any kind.”

“We are committed to remaining engaged with China to promote south-south cooperation, especially in light of emerging global concerns like human-induced climate change,” he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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