NEW DELHI — Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack, China on Monday vowed to support Islamabad “to secure peace and stability in South Asia.”
The statement was made by Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong, who met President Asif Ali Zardari amid the highly charged atmosphere following the diplomatic showdown between Islamabad and New Delhi.
Jiang called on President Zardari and exchanged views on different issues, including the tensions between Pakistan and India, state-run Radio Pakistan reported, TNIE reported.
During the meeting, President Zardari expressed concern over the recent measures by India following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, saying that such actions threaten regional peace and stability, it reported.
India last week imposed a ban on the import of goods coming from or transiting through Pakistan and also the entry of Pakistani ships into its ports even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said New Delhi is committed to taking “firm and decisive” action against terrorists and their backers.
The fresh moves came nearly two weeks after India announced a raft of punitive measures against Pakistan including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, shutting down of the only operation land border crossing at Attari and the downgrading of diplomatic ties following the terror attack.
“The Chinese Ambassador reaffirmed the enduring and time-tested friendship between China and Pakistan, describing the relationship as one of ironclad brothers who have always supported each other in challenging times,’ Radio Pakistan reported.
He thanked President Zardari for sharing Pakistan’s perspective and emphasised that “China would always support Pakistan to achieve the common desire of both countries to secure peace and stability in South Asia.”
On Thursday, the Chinese envoy called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who thanked China for endorsing his offer to conduct a neutral probe into the Pahalgam attack.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday vowed to support India in its fight against terrorism and stated that the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack must be brought to justice.
In a telephonic conversation with PM Modi, Putin condemned the attack as “barbaric” and expressed “full support” to India in the fight against terrorism, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a social media post.
Putin was among the first world leaders to condemn the April 22 terror attack that killed 25 tourists and a local Kashmiri when suspected militants opened fire at tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
The United States had earlier expressed its support to India in its “fight against terrorism.”
“As President Donald Trump and Secretary Marco Rubio have made clear, the United States stands with India, strongly condemns all acts of terrorism. We pray for the lives of those lost and for the recovery of the injured and call for the perpetrators of this heinous act to be brought to justice,” State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce had said two days after the attack.
