China has come out in defense of its ally and neighbor Pakistan after U.S. President Donald Trump accused the Muslim-majority country of harboring Islamic terrorists, something that Beijing itself has acknowledged.
Under President Trump’s Afghanistan plan, the U.S. is expected to end the war by deploying more American troops to the country, pressuring Pakistan to stop serving as a sanctuary for terrorist groups, and convince the Taliban to engage in peace talks.
The top diplomats from Beijing and Islamabad blasted President Trump’s newly unveiled Afghanistan strategy, saying that the only way to end the Afghan war is through dialogue with the Afghan Taliban jihadists who maintain a good relationship with China, courtesy of the jihadist group’s supporter Pakistan.
“It’s our firm view that there is no military solution in Afghanistan, the focus should be on a politically negotiated settlement,” declared Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif during a joint press conference with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing, reports the Associated Press (AP). “China is playing a very constructive role in this regard.”
“The government and people of Pakistan have made huge sacrifices in the fight against terror for everyone to see and the international community should recognize that,” proclaimed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, noting that Beijing is standing firmly behind its “ironclad friend” Pakistan despite criticism that the nation is a state-sponsor of terrorism.
Yi’s comments came despite concerns about the terrorism threat facing China, stemming from Pakistan and to a lesser extent Afghanistan, has reportedly prompted Beijing to reconsider its economic and military support to Islamabad.
Moreover, the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) coalition officially denounced various Islamic terrorist groups affiliated with Pakistan without naming the country during its annual summit earlier this month, a move praised by India and the United States.
The Chinese foreign minister ignored the terror designation by BRICS during the joint press conference, but a Pakistani media outlet quoted him before arriving in Beijing as saying that it should not jeopardize the relationship between the countries, adding that Pakistan should put its “house in order.”