A joint statement released after a meeting between the foreign ministers of Pakistan and China unscored the importance for India and Pakistan to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute “based on the UN Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions, and bilateral agreements.”
The two countries made another thinly-veiled reference to India by urging “regional countries” to “uphold Asian values of mutual respect, equality, and win-win cooperation, and build an open and inclusive regional architecture, safeguard peace and stability in the region, and advance common development and prosperity.”
This forms part of China’s wider policy of opposing India’s territorial claims and actions in Kashmir.
Landed in Guangzhou 🇨🇳 on my first bilateral visit. Today also marks 71st anniversay of establishment of diplomatic ties between Pakistan and China.
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) May 21, 2022
Looking forward to meeting Chinese State Councilor & Foreign Minister Wang Yi for in-depth discussions on Pakistan-China relations. https://t.co/4ZGENOCPsa
Back in August 2020, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said India’s “unilateral” decision to “change the status quo” was “illegal and invalid,” referring to its decision to revoke Article 370 in August 2019.
More recently, at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Islamabad this March, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China shares the “same hope” as that of other group members in their support for Kashmir’s “just freedom struggles,” reiterating China’s longstanding support for Pakistan regarding the Kashmir dispute with India.
Nevertheless, the bulk of the meeting between Wang and his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Bhutto focused on reaffirming that their “iron brotherhood” and “all weather” strategic partnership remains unaffected by a recent terrorist attack in Karachi.
The pair condemned the murder of three Chinese nationals at Karachi University on 26 April, referring to terrorism as the “common enimity of humanity.”
Bhutto Zardari reaffirmed that the Sharif government is investigating the attack and will “hunt down the culprits and bring them to justice.” He also vowed to ensure the “safety of all Chinese nationals, projects, and institutions in the country.”
Live: FM Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressing a PC along with Wang Yi in Guangzhou, China. https://t.co/LCyAtOnBK4
— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) May 22, 2022
During their meeting in Guangzhou on Sunday, the pair stressed that their “all weather” and “ironclad” relationship grows ever stronger, particularly with the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which the joint statement said has “improved Pakistan’s infrastructure and boosted its socio-economic development.”
In particular, their economic cooperation will focus on energy, industry, agriculture, information technology, and transportation infrastructure in order to “accelerate the process of Pakistan’s industrialisation.”
They further agreed to make “optimum use” of the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement and diversify trade in “export-oriented sectors in Pakistan” to integrate “value chains of the two countries.”
Keeping this in mind, the duo celebrated China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which they said provides an “open and inclusive platform for international cooperation” in the interest of “global public good.”
In Guangzhou, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari met with Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councilor Wang Yi#BRI #CPEC #PakChinaFriendship #PakChinaAt71 @CathayPak @WangXianfeng8 @PakAmbChina @zhang_heqing @BBhuttoZardari pic.twitter.com/6kWANW7VnA
— CPEC Official (@CPEC_Official) May 22, 2022
In this regard, Wang also proposed the use of the China-led Global Development Initiative (GDI) and Global Security Initiative (GSI) as platforms to “respond to the pressing challenges facing humanity.”
Wang and Bhutto Zardari also underscored that defence cooperation between the two countries is a “factor of peace and stability in the region,” adding that they seek to jointly confront both “traditional and non-traditional global challenges.” They stressed that the international order must be grounded in a “UN-centred international system,” with respect for the “principles of the UN Charter, practicing true multilateralism, and promoting democracy and rule of law.”
The two sides also expressed concern about the “negative spillovers” of the Ukraine war, particularly in developing countries, and called on both sides to resort to diplomacy.
Furthermore, they spoke about the need for “peace and stability” in Afghanistan and called on the Taliban to “develop a broad-based and inclusive political structure, adopt moderate and sound internal and external policies, and protect the rights of women and children and ensure that the Afghan soil is not used against any of its neighbors.”
Meanwhile, Wang said after the meeting that the United States’ Indo-Pacific strategy is “bound to fail” because it attempts to “erase the name ‘Asia Pacific’” and also the “achievements and momentum of peaceful development created by the concerted efforts of countries in the region over the past decades.” To this end, he slammed the US for attempting to “form small cliques in the name of freedom of openness” in order to “contain China.”
The Associated Press of Pakistan noted that the pair had agreed that their “everlasting” and “rock solid” friendship means that they they will “firmy support each other’s core interests.” In fact, following a virtual meeting between the two officials earlier this month, the Chinese foreign ministry declared: “Pakistan firmly adheres to the one-China principle and supports China's positions on issues related to Taiwan, Xinjiang, Xizang and the South China Sea, among others.”
During wide-ranging talks with State Councilor Wang Yi, discussed enhanced economic engagement, trade, investments, industrialization and CPEC cooperation. Issues facing students also discussed.
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) May 22, 2022
Both sides are committed to elevating multifacted partnership to greater heights. pic.twitter.com/GDju37kz06
The meeting between the two foreign ministers comes just days after a virtual meeting between Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, during which Sharif reassured that he will do everything to protect Chinese citizens and projects in the country.
CPEC has faced intense resistance from the Baloch community; the BLA has orchestrated a number of attacks against Chinese nationals in Pakistan and vowed to continue until the projects are stopped. The Baloch people believe that region does not receive its fair share of the revenue from the mineral and petrochemical extraction operations in its region and that the employment opportunities generated by the CPEC are awarded to Chinese nationals.
Wang and Bhutto Zardari’s meeting also comes amid a spiralling foreign reserve crisis in Pakistan, for which Sharif is believed to have requested assistance from both Saudi Arabia and China. However, the joint statements and press releases published after their meeting made no mention of this.
FM@BBhutto during his meeting with FM/State Councillor@WangYi held in-depth discussions on bilateral relations, regional and international issues of shared interest #PakFMinChina pic.twitter.com/ge2Em4Esol
— Pakistan Embassy China (@PakinChina_) May 22, 2022
On the same day, Pakistani Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood hosted the Chinese envoy to Pakistan Pang Chunxue at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad to celebrate the 71st year of bilateral ties with one another. Mahmood said ties have “grown from strength to strength and matured into an unbreakable all-weather strategic cooperative partnership” and a “multifaceted and time-tested” friendship.
Similarly, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin noted that Zardari’s visit marks the “first in-person high-level interaction between the two countries since the new Pakistani government was formed.”