Pakistan foreign minister meets Chinese counterpart; discusses Kashmir

The foreign ministers of China and Pakistan held their 2nd annual strategic dialogue on Friday during which they discussed the Kashmir issue, progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the Afghan peace process. Billed as “highly relevant” and “very important” by both the countries ahead of the meeting held in the southern Chinese island resort of Hainan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi discussed a host of bilateral, regional and international issues.

A joint statement issued at the end of the meeting said that “both sides underlined that a peaceful, stable, cooperative and prosperous South Asia was in common interest of all parties. Parties need to settle disputes and issues in the region through dialogue on the basis of equality and mutual respect”.“The Pakistani side briefed the Chinese side on the situation in Jammu & Kashmir, including its concerns, position and current urgent issues”, it said.

“The Chinese side reiterated that the Kashmir issue is a dispute left over from history between India and Pakistan, which is an objective fact, and that the dispute should be resolved peacefully and properly through the UN Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements. China opposes any unilateral actions that complicate the situation”, the joint press release said.

India has been maintaining that China has no locus standi in commenting on Jammu and Kashmir. New Delhi has previously told Beijing that the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir "has been, is and shall continue to be an integral part of India." Earlier this month, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the issues pertaining to the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir were solely an internal matter of India.

The meeting took place amid reports of crisis in Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relations which were regarded as the bedrock of Islamabad’s foreign policy for decades. Qureshi left for Hainan after the return of Pakistan Army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa from Saudi Arabia, where he held talks with senior officials on the state of relations between Riyadh and Islamabad.

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Pakistan Tries To Ease Strained Ties With Saudi

Saudi Arabia's massive $6.2 billion, three-year financial package to Pakistan seems to have reached an end within just a year after the former expressed that it was not keen to continue rolling out the money to the debt-ridden country. Pakistani media reported that the one-year term of the lease came to an end on July 9, after which Riyadh was to renew the financial assistance for another two years. However, no talks of renewal have been made between the two countries even a month after the lease expired.  

Later in an attempt to bring some respite in the strained relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has met Saudi Arabian counterpart General Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili to discuss the prospects for military cooperation. "During the meeting, prospects for military cooperation and ways to support and boost it were reviewed, in addition to matters of common concern," a statement said. "Gen Bajwa was received by Saudi Arabia's Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces General Fayyad Al-Ruwaili," Geo News quoted Ministry of Defense Saudi Arabia.

(with PTI inputs)

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