'China asks Pakistan to mend its fences with neighbours'

Islamabad, May 21: The Chinese leadership has asked Islamabad to "mend its fences" with all its neighbours, including India, and expressed concern over terrorists still "flourishing" in centres on Pakistani soil, a media report today (May 21) said.

The message from the Chinese leadership was conveyed during Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's visit to China that ended yesterday, The News daily quoted diplomatic sources as saying.

While expressing "unflinching support" for Pakistan's security, integrity and solidarity, the Chinese leadership "advised Pakistan to mend its fences with all of its neighbours and try to win international blessings for its national (and) international goals", the report said.

The Chinese leadership asked Islamabad to make efforts for the "removal of irritants with Washington and New Delhi", the diplomatic sources were quoted as saying.

The Chinese leadership expressed regret that "terrorists were flourishing in various centres and Pakistan had yet to take an effective action to remove such centres", the report said.

It added that this was an "obvious reference (or) signal about madrassas".

Pakistan was also asked by the Chinese leadership to play a "more effective role in Afghanistan where the chances of peace are getting brighter", the report said.

Gilani's visit to China came at a time of fresh tensions in Pakistan-US ties following a raid by American commandos that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in the garrison city of Abbottabad on May 2.

The Chinese leadership, the diplomatic sources told The News, had agreed in principle to help Pakistan to bridge its budget deficit and to provide a soft loan for rescuing its economy.

The leadership, however, "declined to oblige the desire expressed by Islamabad for fiscal assistance", the report said.

Beijing said that China, as part of its policy, does not "give hard cash as financial assistance to any country", the report said.

PTI