Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi Friday expressed serious concern over the latest situation in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) and said the issue should be resolved peacefully according to the United Nations resolutions and bilateral accords between India and Pakistan.
“The Kashmir issue is a dispute left from the colonial history. It should be properly and peacefully resolved based on the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreement,” he said while talking to Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who arrived here on an urgent visit to brief the Chinese leadership about the prevailing situation in IHK in the wake of India’s move to withdraw the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of its constitution.
Wang Yi said his country will continue to support Pakistan in safeguarding its legitimate rights and interests and uphold justice for Pakistan on the international arena. He said China believes that unilateral actions that complicate the situation should not be taken. He stressed that as all-weather strategic cooperative partners, China and Pakistan have understood and supported each other on issues concerning the respective core interests.
Wang Yi called on both Pakistan and India to proceed from their national development and peace in South Asia, properly resolve historical grievances, get rid of the zero-sum mindset, avoid unilateral action and seek a new path to peaceful coexistence.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said China fully supports Pakistan’s decision to go to the UN Security Council over Kashmir and has assured complete cooperation in this regard. He said Chinese side has agreed that the steps taken by India are unilateral that have changed the status quo and structure of occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He said his Chinese counterpart was in concurrence that Jammu and Kashmir has been recognised as a disputed region and its resolution should also be in the light of the UN resolutions.
Qureshi said China will maintain full cooperation with Pakistan and the two ally nations’ ministers and missions will stay in close contact, adding that Beijing has, once again, proved that it is Islamabad’s trustworthy friend.
“China completely supported Pakistan’s stance on the matter,” he said. “It was agreed that Kashmir was a disputed territory and still is – a fact which is also recognised by the UN – and the solution will have to come after making the resolutions outline by UN a basis,” he said.
The foreign minister said he conveyed Pakistan’s concerns that after the amendments to Kashmir’s status and after curfew restrictions are removed, a new reign of oppression and barbarism may be enforced with which not only will further human rights violations occur but there is fear it will lead to further bloodshed. He said that FM Wang Yi was informed that there may be a response and to divert attention from the response, there might be another incident like Pulwama.
Earlier on arrival at the Beijing Capital International Airport, Qureshi was welcomed by Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Naghmana Hashmi and senior officials of the foreign ministry. Speaking to media before leaving Islamabad, the foreign minister said India is intent on disrupting the regional peace with its unconstitutional measures and that China is not only a friend to Pakistan but also an important country of the region. “I will apprise the Chinese leaders of the unconstitutional measures taken up by the Indian government in Held Kashmir. I will also brief them of the gross human rights violations in the occupied valley,” he had said.
