After meeting Pakistan’s prime minister Imran Khan in Beijing, Xi Jinping has asked India and Pakistan to find a peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue.
The Chinese president said that no “unilateral steps” should be taken on Kashmir, as per news reports.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the last day of his four-day visit to China. Khan had gone to China to attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.
It is believed that he discussed the deteriorating economy of his country in Beijing and many other issues with the leaders of China. In the meeting with Jinping, the two leaders discussed a number of issues, including the slow progress of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The attacks on Chinese personnel working on Chinese projects in Pakistan were also discussed.
Along with this, both the leaders also discussed the Kashmir issue.
A joint statement issued by the two countries after the Sino-Pakistani partnership meeting said, “The Pakistani side conveyed to the Chinese side the latest situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The Chinese side once again said that the Kashmir issue is a dispute arising in history and it should be resolved on the basis of UN Charter, Security Council resolution, and bilateral agreements. It was said, “China opposes any unilateral steps to further complicate the situation.”
Following a similar Sino-Pakistani joint statement in July 2021, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had objected to the mention of CPEC in the statement.
Describing the area as illegally occupied by Pakistan, Bagchi had said, “As before, India completely denies any mention of Jammu and Kashmir”. has consistently told both China and Pakistan that the ‘so-called CPEC’ is the territory of India.”
Bagchi had said, “As before, India completely denies any mention of Jammu Kashmir”.