China on Friday released a statement saying it unequivocally supports Pakistan in its effort to fight terrorism on its soil. China said Islamabad has a "clear conscience" and had made "great sacrifices," according to reports.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said there are "some countries" which need to recognise Pakistan's efforts. Wang's statement could be a veiled comment aimed at both the United States and India.
US President Donald Trump had last month hit out at "safe havens" for terrorists in Pakistan. India, on its part, has always been critical of its neighbour's handling of terrorism on its soil.
The Chinese foreign minister's comments came after a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Khawaja Asif in Beijing. The meeting took place just four days after China endorsed the declaration at the BRICS Summit in Xiamen, which for the first time cited concerns about several Pakistan-based terrorism groups.
China, ahead of the BRICS Summit, had said it would be appropriate to discuss Islamabad's counter-terrorism and associated concerns of countries like India at the Summit, which was held on September 3.
Amid increasing international pressure on Pakistan to act against terror groups emanating from its soil, the country's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday had admitted that terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) are operating within his country.
"Friends (China) should not be tested (every time), particularly in the changed scenario. Instead, we should impose some restrictions on the activities of the elements like LeT and JeM, so that we can show the global community that we have put our house in order," Asif had said while speaking on a Geo News programme called Capital Talk on Tuesday.
