BEIJING (NNI): China on Tuesday reiterated that Pakistan had made enormous sacrifices for the fight against terrorism and the international community should acknowledge its outstanding contributions to the global cause of counter terrorism.
“Pakistan has made enormous efforts and sacrifices for the fight against terrorism and has made very outstanding contribution to the global cause of counter-terrorism. The international community should acknowledge that,” Spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry, Gen Shuang said while responding to a question about the US President’s statement regarding Pakistan’s role in the fight against terrorism, during his regular briefing here.
The spokesperson said that international community should acknowledge the role Pakistan played in the fight against terrorism and the sacrifices it rendered during the anti-terrorism campaign.
China, he said, glad to see Pakistan engaged in international cooperation including in the counter terrorism on the basis of mutual respect so as to contribute regional peace and stability.
“China and Pakistan are all-weather partners and we stand ready to promote and deepen our all round cooperation for bringing benefits to the two sides,” he added.
When asked would this criticism affect cooperation against terrorism in the region, he said that foreign ministers of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan recently held a tripartite dialogue in the Chinese capital and agreed to further deepen their coordination and cooperation in the fight against terrorism and indiscriminately combat all terrorist groups and terrorists.
He expressed the confidence that the three countries would continue to push for the cooperation among them in the fight against terrorism.
Earlier, Islamabad called on the US envoy to Pakistan David Hale to explain Donald Trump’s claims that Pakistan was harboring and aiding militants from neighboring Afghanistan.
Hale was summoned to the Foreign Office, hours after the US president used his first tweet in 2018 to slam Pakistan for “lies & deceit.” Trump also hinted at cutting or limiting US aid to Pakistan.
“The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!”
The US embassy to Pakistan confirmed that the meet took place but refused to provide details on the conversation. “We don’t have any comment on the substance of the meeting,” a spokesman said.
Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said Trump’s comments were motivated by US failures in Afghanistan. Asif also said Pakistan did not need US aid. “He has tweeted against us and Iran for his domestic consumption,” Asif told a private TV channel on Monday.
“He is, again and again, displacing his frustrations on Pakistan over failures in Afghanistan as they are trapped in dead-end street in Afghanistan.”
