Pak-China relations: China pledges support for Pakistan

Foreign ministry spokesman says Pakistan is important for regional stability.


Afp July 13, 2011

BEIJING:


China pledged its support for close ally Pakistan on Tuesday, after the US decision to suspend $800 million worth of aid.


“Pakistan is an important country in South Asia. The stability and development of Pakistan is closely connected with the peace and stability of South Asia,” foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters.

“China has always provided assistance to Pakistan, helping it improve people’s livelihood and realise the sustainable development of its economy and society. China will continue to do so in the future,” he added.

US President Barack Obama’s Chief of Staff, William Daley, announced in a television interview on Sunday that the US had decided to withhold almost a third of its annual $2.7 billion security assistance to Islamabad.

Former President Pervez Musharraf on Monday said he regrets the US decision to stop $800 million in military aid to Pakistan. Musharraf called the move “disastrous”, telling an audience at Rice University in Houston, Texas that the aid cut-off is not in the best interest of the United States because it will weaken Pakistan’s ability to fight terrorism. Musharraf said that he is saddened by what he sees as the recent “environment of confrontation between Pakistan and the United States,” adding that relations can be improved if the US further takes into concern Pakistani sensitivities and sovereignty.

The move has plunged relations between Islamabad and Washington to a new low.  Tensions between the two countries were already high after US commandos killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in May. The US decision was however welcomed by India. The neighbouring state has long accused Pakistan of providing shelter to militant groups and has pushed the global community and the United States in particular, to censure Islamabad. China on the other hand is one of Pakistan’s closest allies and is also its main arms supplier, a situation that India has also expressed concern about.



Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2011.

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COMMENTS (161)

Sam | 12 years ago | Reply

@mind control:

are u denying chinas strenght as one of the BRIC economies.. and yes i know what the I in BRIC stands for.. i dont suppose ur aware of what the C stands for though.. CHINA isthe new global power.. u ahve to be living in a hole to not know that...

also just so that its clear to all indians china and pakistan go way back to when bhutto visited china for its support. and since the ties between the two countriues have been strong to say the least.. no matter what china has alwauys offered its support to pakistan in one shape or another!

harkol | 12 years ago | Reply

You'll know if China means business, when it puts its money where its mouth is. Countries don't give out doles of Billions of Dollars without clear objectives. Especially not China.

It may do so, if it saw a geo-political advantage in dominating Pakistan. And Pakistan will be foolish to expect China to be more benign than USA.

The history shows that a democratic super-power is far more benign than autocratic ones. So, if Pakistan thinks China is going to be a better Superpower sugar-daddy than USA - GOOD LUCK.

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