BEIJING : Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan, who arrived in China on a two-day visit on Tuesday, met his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang in Beijing. After his arrival in the Chinese capital, Khan was accorded the ceremonial welcome and welcomed by top Chinese leaders including Li.
The two leaders later held bilateral talks and witnessed the signing of agreements on China’s aid to Pakistan and cooperation in maritime law enforcement, culture and infrastructure, in the framework of China’s Belt-and-Road initiative.
It is Imran Khan’s third visit to China since he became prime minister and the visit comes amid ongoing tensions with India after New Delhi ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August. After the meeting, China issued a statement urging both Pakistan and India to resolve all bilateral issues through dialogue, including Kashmir.
“China calls on India and Pakistan to strengthen dialogue on disputes including Kashmir to enhance mutual trust and improve relations. This is in line with the common interests of both India and Pakistan and is the common expectation of the countries and the international community,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said.
Beijing’s apparent softening of stance on Kashmir comes ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to India for an informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chennai.
Prasanta Patnaik