China said on Saturday that the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan was left over from history and should be resolved as per the UN resolutions while avoiding any unilateral action. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang arrived in Pakistan on Friday for a two-day visit, which is his first trip to the country. He co-chaired a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday.
The two sides issued a joint statement at the conclusion of the 4th round of the ‘Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue’ in Islamabad. According to the statement, the entire range of bilateral relations and cooperation, including in political, strategic, economic, defence security, education and cultural domains was reviewed while regional and global issues of mutual interest were also discussed during the dialogue. It stated that both sides underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability in South Asia and the need for the resolution of all outstanding disputes.
“The Chinese side reiterated that the Kashmir dispute was left over from history between India and Pakistan and should be properly and peacefully resolved in accordance with the UN Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements. “Both sides opposed any unilateral actions that further complicate the already volatile situation,” according to the statement.
India has previously criticised China and Pakistan for their unwarranted references to the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
“We have consistently rejected such statements and all parties concerned are well aware of our clear position on these matters. The Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh are and always will be integral and inalienable parts of India. No other country has locus standi to comment on the same,” the Ministry of External Affairs said last year when the two close allies mentioned the Kashmir issue in a joint statement.