A spokesperson from China's foreign ministry on Friday said Kashmir was a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan, in a further embarrassment to Pakistan, which had sought to raise the topic at the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as part of its continued efforts to get a third party to intervene in the issue.
Pakistan had already been given yet another fitting reply by India at the UN, when Eenam Gambhir, First Secretary at the UNGA, said: "Pakistan is now 'Terroristan', with a flourishing industry producing and exporting global terrorism."
This came after Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had once again tried to portray his country as a mere victim of terrorism and not an instigator.
And now, with China's statement that sees Beijing distancing itself from India-Pakistan issues, Islamabad will find itself once again isolated at the world stage on the topic of terrorism.
It also shows that India's steadfast reply to China on the Doklam standoff issue has paid off, because Beijing is circumspect when it comes to yet another confrontation with India.
What China said
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said: "China's position on the Kashmir issue is clear-cut."
He added: "The Kashmir issue is left over from history. China hopes India and Pakistan can increase dialogue and communication and properly handle relevant issues and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability."
With that, China made its stand clear on the Kashmir issue, implying it will not interfere in any negotiations on Kashmir.
Pakistan isolated
This means Pakistan has been left bereft of a country it once considered an all-weather friend, especially on matters of terror, especially after China blocked several bids to designate Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar a terrorist.
The joint statement of BRICS -- which contains both China and India -- earlier this month had condemned terror groups in Pakistan, signalling a shift in the perception China has of Pakistan and its policies.
