BEIJING: The United States must value Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan and respect its security concerns, China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi told US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a phone call, according to Chinese state media.
China’s Foreign Ministry defended its ally Pakistan earlier this week after President Donald Trump said the United States could no longer be silent about militants using safe havens on Pakistani soil.
On Monday, Trump committed the United States to an open-ended conflict in Afghanistan, signalling he would send more troops to America’s longest war and vowing “a fight to win”.
Yang, who outranks China’s foreign minister, told Tillerson on Wednesday that China was willing to coordinate with the United States on Afghanistan and make joint efforts to realise peace and stability there and in the region, according to a Chinese statement issued late that night.
“We must value Pakistan’s important role on the Afghanistan issue, and respect Pakistan’s sovereignty and reasonable security concerns,” Yang told Tillerson.
China’s Foreign Ministry defended its ally Pakistan earlier this week after President Donald Trump said the United States could no longer be silent about militants using safe havens on Pakistani soil.
On Monday, Trump committed the United States to an open-ended conflict in Afghanistan, signalling he would send more troops to America’s longest war and vowing “a fight to win”.
Yang, who outranks China’s foreign minister, told Tillerson on Wednesday that China was willing to coordinate with the United States on Afghanistan and make joint efforts to realise peace and stability there and in the region, according to a Chinese statement issued late that night.
“We must value Pakistan’s important role on the Afghanistan issue, and respect Pakistan’s sovereignty and reasonable security concerns,” Yang told Tillerson.
(Agencies)
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