Clarifying that China’s People’s Liberation Army “never deployed a single soldier” in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), visiting National Defense Minister of China General Liang Guanglie has accused some interest groups of fabricating rumours to project his country’s normal development activities into “China’s preparation for war against India”.
General Liang, who is on five-day visit to India, said in a written interview to The Hindu that as a neighbour, China firmly supports that India and Pakistan solve their disputes through dialogue and cooperation.
This the first visit of a high ranking officer of PLA in the past eight years and for the time a joint statement of the two defence ministers is likely to be issued on the end of his visit.
“As Minister of National Defence of China, I’d like to take this opportunity to clarify to you once again: the PLA has never deployed a single soldier in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir,” General Liang said.
There were reports that between 3,000 and 4,000 personnel were engaged in construction work and providing security in the region.
It needs to be stressed that China always holds an explicit attitude towards developing the strategic and cooperative partnership between the two countries. It is regrettable that some media in India occasionally make some groundless comments when reporting about China-India relations. Some even distort China’s normal activities of developing economy and improving people’s livelihood, even some humanitarian assistance, into China’s preparation for war against India.
”Some of these untruthful remarks were made due to lack of understanding and knowledge of the truth. And some others were intentionally fabricated rumours by some interest groups, General Liang said.
To a question regarding anti-piracy mission, the Chinese Defence Minister said the PLA has never established a military base overseas and since the beginning of their escort mission in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia at the end of 2008, the PLA Navy ships have conducted logistic supply from the ports of Djibouti, Oman, Yemen, etc and such logistic supply activities do not have any connection with establishing military bases overseas.
General Liang stressed that both sides need to strictly abide by the relevant agreements signed between the two countries, restrict its own border troop personnel, coordinate and handle various cases through diplomatic means and border meetings and talks, and not unilaterally expand area of activities and military deployment along the Line of Actual Control, so as to jointly maintain a stable situation in the border areas.
General Liang, who is accompanying a 23 member-strong delegation, is scheduled to hold discussion with his Indian counterpart tomorrow which may follow unprecedented joint statement. He would also hold discussions with the Chairman Chief of Staff Committee, Air Marshal N A K Browne.
—-UNI