Raking up India’s Kashmir issue with Pakistan, China called for a peaceful resolution and opposed any "unilateral actions" that could complicate the situation. In a joint statement issued after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan held talks with the top Chinese leadership, including President Xi Jinping, in Beijing, China said the Kashmir issue was a historic dispute and should be resolved properly and peacefully.

China also pledged to carry forward work with Pakistan under the $60-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) investment programme. The CPEC is a flagship project under China’s premier’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which cuts through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in India.

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Khan met the Chinese President on the final day of his visit to Beijing on February 6. The two leaders last met in October 2019. Here are the issues discussed by the two leaders during their meeting.

Kashmir issue

According to the joint statement, Pakistan briefed the Chinese about the concerns, position and pressing issues in J&K. China reiterated that the Kashmir issue should be resolved based on the UN Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements.

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“China opposes any unilateral actions that complicate the situation,” it said.

This is not the first time that the two countries have referred to the J&K situation in their joint statement. India has strongly rejected such references in the past and asserted that the Union Territory has and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of the country, news agency PTI reported.

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According to a report by the Associated Press of Pakistan, Khan also complained to Xi about India’s “persecution of minorities in India” and “rapid militarisation,” which was undermining regional stability.

Uyghurs in Xinjiang

Despite the accusations of the West against China for suppressing Uyghur Muslims, Islamabad reaffirmed its support for the Chinese government in its policies in Xinjiang province, Hong Kong and Tibet, regions where China is accused of carrying out massive human rights violations and genocide.

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Pakistan expressed its "commitment to One China Policy and support for China on Taiwan, South China Sea, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet,” the joint statement said.

Recently, 243 global groups called for action against China for human rights violations, ANI reported.

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Stronger defence and security cooperation

Reaffirming its support for Pakistan in safeguarding the country’s sovereignty, independence and security, China said it would continue to work with Islamabad in fields such as technology, industry and agriculture.

“China and Pakistan should carry forward the tradition of mutual trust, mutual assistance and cooperation, and carry out more extensive and in-depth strategic cooperation,” Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as saying on February 6.

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According to Xi, “strategic significance of China-Pakistan” relations has gained prominence at a time of turbulence and transformation in the world.

In defence cooperation, both countries agreed to continue the momentum between the two armed forces at various levels.

Pakistan and China also agreed to begin the second phase of its controversial CPEC project.

Pakistan’s foreign policy

Calling Islamabad’s ties with China "the cornerstone of its foreign policy," Khan admitted that Pakistan was completely dependent on Beijing for its foreign policy.

Khan said both sides mutually support each other's "core interests."

"The leaders of the two countries held an in-depth exchange of views on the entire spectrum of bilateral relations as well as the regional situation and international political landscape," the joint statement said.

Islamabad also lent its support on issues related to the One China Policy and South China Sea, which is viewed by the West as part of Beijing’s expansionist approach.

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(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)