——- Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson notes reports of Pakistani citizens’ assassination by Indian agents
From Mahnoor Makhdoom
BEIJING: China on Tuesday said that it firmly opposed double standards on counter-terrorism and noted the reports of the assassination of Pakistani citizens by Indian intelligence personnel in Pakistan as well as recent diplomatic disputes between relevant countries. “The information released by Pakistan is worth our attention,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in response to a question in this regard during his regular briefing.
Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary, in a press conference on on January 25, accused India’s intelligence personnel of involvement in the killing of Pakistani citizens in Pakistan. They said that the assassination was conducted in the same way as the killing of Sikh activists by India in Canada and the United States. Pakistan also accused India of recruiting, financing and supporting criminals and terrorists overseas to play defined roles in the assassinations.
Wang Wenbin said that China noted the reports and recent diplomatic disputes between relevant countries. “The information released by Pakistan is worth our attention.” He stressed that terrorism was humanity’s common enemy and said, “China firmly opposes double standards on counter-terrorism, which benefits no one and will only backfire.” China, he added, “stands for strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation among all countries to jointly fight all forms of terrorism”.
Meanwhile, China’s acceptance of the appointment of the new Afghan ambassador to China by the Afghan interim government is a normal diplomatic arrangement, Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson, Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday. “It is normal diplomatic arrangements for China to receive the new ambassador to China, sent by the Afghan interim government and for him to present his credentials to the Chinese leader,” he said during his regular briefing in response to a question whether China formally recognizes the Afghan interim government?
He said that China’s policy on Afghanistan was consistent and clear. As a traditionally friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, China was committed to a foreign policy of friendship towards all Afghan people and has maintained diplomatic ties and exchange and cooperation in various areas with Afghanistan. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday in Beijing received credentials of ambassadors from many countries, including Afghanistan.
The spokesperson hoped that the international community would step up engagement and exchange with the Afghan interim government, encourage it to actively respond to international concerns, jointly help with Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development, and support Afghanistan’s effort to combat violent terrorist forces and contribute to regional peace, stability and prosperity. When asked whether China officially recognizes the Afghan interim government, he said that China believed that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community. “We hope Afghanistan will further respond to the expectations of the international community, build an open and inclusive political structure, adopt moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, firmly combat all forms of terrorist forces, develop friendly relations with other countries, especially with its neighbors, and integrate itself into the world community,” he added. He said that the Chinese side believed that diplomatic recognition of the Afghan government would come naturally as the concerns of various parties were effectively addressed.
