China backs Pakistan in defending sovereignty

Dar, Chinese FM reaffirm 'ironclad' strategic ties

BEIJING:

China said on Tuesday it supports Pakistan in defending "national sovereignty and territorial integrity", after a ceasefire ended four days of fighting with India over a deadly attack in held Kashmir.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China welcomed the two countries "handling differences through dialogue" as he met his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in Beijing.

Dar's visit comes after India and Pakistan exchanged tit-for-tat drone, missile and artillery fire following the April 22 attack in the Pahalgam area of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

New Delhi instantly blamed Islamabad for the attack in which 26 tourists were killed. Pakistan denied the charge and stated that it was ready to cooperate in an independent investigation that it proposed, might be undertaken by other countries.

However, India on May 6 launched missile strikes inside Pakistan, an attack followed by drone strikes. It later also targeted some air bases in Pakistan. Pakistan on May 10 retaliated to the attacks and on the same day US President Donald Trump announced a surprise truce.

This truce appears to be holding over more than a week later.

Ishaq Dar on Tuesday held in-depth consultations with Wang Yi. FM Dar and the Chinese foreign minister hailed All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership and ironclad friendship between Pakistan and China during the meeting, a news release said.

During the meeting both the leaders expressed satisfaction at the commonality of views on all issues of mutual interest and expressed their firm resolve to continue bilateral cooperation for regional peace, development and stability.

Moreover, amid the meeting both sides exchanged views on the evolving situation in South Asia, future trajectory of Pakistan-China friendship, and CPEC 2.0.

China is Pakistan's largest arms supplier and Dar confirmed that Islamabad used Chinese jets against India.