Pakistan stands by China on its maritime sovereignty: NSA Nasir Janjua

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Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security Lieutenant General (R) Nasir Khan Janjua said on Monday that Pakistan and China have a shared destiny and they always stand together for protecting their territorial sovereignty and national sovereignty.

“Both the countries have a shared vision for a better future,” he said at a function held in Islamabad to declare support for China on the issue of South China Sea. ‘101 Friends of China’, a think-tank passed a unanimous resolution on the occasion, stating the people of Pakistan fully endorse the position taken by China on South China sea in regard to its sovereignty over Nansha Island and the surrounding water.

The resolution emphasised that the issue should be resolved peacefully through bilateral channels by the parties concerned. It stressed that the Permanent Court of Arbitration should conduct business strictly within its jurisdiction and that its ruling should not be an instrument to fuel tensions and disputes.

It underlined the need that international arbitral institutions should not be used for political purposes. The resolution was meant to send a message of support and solidarity to the people of China on the issue of its maritime sovereignty. It categorically stated, “People of Pakistan stand by China on the issue of South China Sea.”

Speaking on the occasion, Chinese Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Zhao Lijian thanked the Friends of China group for its unanimous support on a crucial issue, which relates to peace and security in the region. He briefed the participants on the issue in its historical perspectives. Nansha Island had been an integral part of China over the years. However, since 1970 it was raised as a dispute for vested interests. China to this effect, he said will not accept the verdict of the so-called Hague tribunal. Criticising the US, he said, his country could not be intimidated by the show of force and sending aircraft into sea water.

Gen Nasir Janjua in his address spoke about the significance of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), stating that it provides a great opportunity to Pakistan to turn into a gateway for China’s connectivity plan with the rest of the world particularly Central Asian states. It is Pakistan’s greatest fortune that it was going to be a corridor for economic integration at the global level. Pakistan and China, he said would continue working together to ensure a better future for their people.

He hoped issues like the South China Sea will be resolved through negotiated settlements by the parties concerned. Pakistan he declared will never be a part of any move that leads to containment of China.

Those who attended the function included former federal secretaries and Pakistan’s ex-ambassadors to China. 101 Friends of China President Zahid Malik said that this group will be activated to generate greater support for China on the issue of the South China Sea and other issues of common interest.

 

 

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