China extends hand to Pakistan while reaching out to India
- Chinese president offers strong backing to Islamabad in meeting with Imran Khan
- Beijing confirms Xi-Modi informal summit in Indian coastal town from Friday
Chinese President Xi Jinping has described ties between China and Pakistan as unbreakable, sending a message of strong support to Islamabad just two days before he meets the prime minister of India.
Xi delivered the assessment in a meeting in Beijing on Wednesday morning with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.
In the meeting with Khan, Xi said China and Pakistan should support each other, and that China would help Pakistan with development.
“China and Pakistan enjoy a unique all-weather strategic partnership. No matter how much the geopolitical situation changes, the rock-solid friendship between China and Pakistan is unbreakable,” Chinese state broadcaster CCTV quoted Xi as saying.
Also on Wednesday morning, the foreign ministries of China and India announced that Xi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would meet for two days from Friday for an informal summit in eastern India.