Rahul Gandhi's comment and this joint statement of Imran Khan-Xi Jinping

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in the Lok Sabha last week that the Modi government has committed the biggest crime by bringing China and Pakistan together.

Rahul Gandhi had said, "One of the biggest goals in India's foreign policy was to prevent Pakistan and China from coming closer, but this government has brought both of them together. This government has committed the biggest crime against the people of India by doing so.

India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar immediately responded to this comment of Rahul Gandhi on Twitter.

S Jaishankar had tweeted and said, "Rahul Gandhi has alleged in the Lok Sabha that our government made Pakistan and China together. These are the truths of history - In 1963, Pakistan handed over the Shaksgam Valley to China. China built the Karakoram Highway in the 1970s through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. It was only in the 1970s that the two countries came closer to nuclear cooperation. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor started in 2013. In such a situation, you ask yourself whether China and Pakistan were far away then?

Many analysts say that Rahul Gandhi was talking about Pakistan and China coming closer to abolishing the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, but he refrained from mentioning the removal of Article 370.

Many also say that Rahul Gandhi cannot say that China and Pakistan should come closer to the Modi government, but no government in the country has indeed been successful in stopping the two countries from coming closer.

Imran-Jinping joint statement

When Imran Khan met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Sunday and both of them issued a joint statement, it seemed that the closeness of China-Pakistan is increasing continuously and according to the experts, it is a challenge for India.

China and Pakistan on Sunday said they oppose any unilateral action in Kashmir as it complicates the Kashmir issue. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is on a visit to China. On Sunday, Imran Khan met Chinese President Xi Jinping.

A joint statement was issued after this meeting in Beijing. The statement said, "Both countries have reiterated their concerns and support to each other on issues of vital interest. It was also underlined that strong defense cooperation between the two countries is very important for peace and stability in the region.

Imran Khan attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics on Friday. China had made a commander of the People's Liberation Army, who was injured in a clash with Indian soldiers in the Galvan Valley at the Beijing Winter Olympics, as a torchbearer. India had raised strong objections to this and decided to boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics. Imran Khan has also met Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang.

In a joint statement issued after the meeting of the Chinese President and Pakistani PM on Sunday, Pakistan has said that it is committed to the One China Policy and will continue to support China in the matters of Taiwan, South China Sea, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Tibet. At the same time, China has said that it will stand in support of the sovereignty, independence, and security of Pakistan. China has also spoken of supporting Pakistan's progress.

Kashmir issue

In a statement issued by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, it has been said that Imran Khan also complained about the RSS and BJP in his meeting with Xi Jinping. He said that due to Hindutva thinking of RSS and BJP, minorities are being persecuted in India. Imran Khan alleged that India is promoting rapid militarization and it is a threat to regional peace. Imran Khan thanked China for its help in defense and development.

However, this comment of Imran Khan has not been included in the joint statement of both countries.

The joint statement issued by both the countries said, "Pakistan informed China about the recent developments in Kashmir. China said that the issue of Kashmir is historically disputed and it should be resolved peacefully through bilateral agreements based on UN Charter and Security Council resolutions. China has opposed any unilateral action in Kashmir.

When India decided to end the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and make Ladakh a union territory on August 5, 2019, China opposed it. China called it a unilateral step of India.

Abdul Basit, who was Pakistan's High Commissioner to India, has tweeted about the joint statement issued after the meeting of Imran Khan and Xi Jinping, saying, "The joint statement issued on Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to China is very important. According to the resolutions from the United Nations Security Council, China's support of Pakistan on Kashmir and opposition to any unilateral action is very important. Thank you for this clear and principled support from China. Apart from this, the decision of the trilateral meeting in Afghanistan is also important. China, Pakistan, and Russia should work together to bring stability to Afghanistan.

On his visit to China, Imran Khan has given an interview to the English newspaper Global Times, which is considered to be the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party of China. In this interview, Imran Khan has said that the relations between China and Pakistan have become stronger.

Global Times asked Imran Khan how he feels coming to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics?

In response to this question, Imran Khan said, "I played international cricket for about 20 years, but after becoming the Prime Minister, I hardly ever got a chance to watch an international game. In such a situation, it was very nice to get invited to the Winter Olympics. I can say that to date I have not seen such an event.

"This is my fourth visit to China as Prime Minister. Many years ago I came to Beijing as a leader and parliamentarian. China seems to have changed every two years. Due to this change, China is not recognized. When you come here after two years, it seems that you have come to another country. I have never seen a country that changes so rapidly in terms of infrastructure.

The Global Times asked whether the Pakistan-China relationship is seen as an 'iron brother'. How does a common Pakistani see China? In 2021, the two countries celebrated the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. What are your future expectations from China-Pakistan relations?

In response to this question, Imran Khan said, "China and Pakistan not only see each other as 'Iron Brother' but our relationship is as high as the Himalayas. There are relations between the people of the two countries. Having a relationship between people means that governments come and go, but the relationship is not affected. We have stood by each other for the last 70 years. There is a situation of upheaval in the relations of many countries, but this has not happened between China and Pakistan in the last 70 years.

Imran Khan said, "When the team of Pakistani players came to the ground, there was a lot of applause in the welcome. We were very impressed to see this. The relations between the two countries will be further strengthened in the future due to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.