Kashmir issue should be resolved between India, Pak: China

Beijing, Nov 24 (PTI) China on Tuesday hoped that India
and Pakistan could resolve the Kashmir issue bilaterally
through dialogue as it kept mum over a planned visit of
Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq here.

"China has consistent stance on the Kashmir issue,"
Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters at a news
briefing when asked to comment on the visit of the Mirwaiz and
statements made by him on China's role in resolving the
Kashmir issue.

"The Kashmir issue is an issue between India and Pakistan
left over by history. We hope the two sides could properly
resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiations," Qin was
quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency.

His remarks came after the Hurriyat Chairman said China
has a stake in the region's peace as certain parts of Kashmir
are under its control.

The Mirwaiz had also welcomed a recent joint statement
by Chinese President Hu Jintao and his US counterpart Barack
Obama, who voiced support for better India-Pakistan relations.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry's statement came a day
after some leading Chinese scholars on South Asia said the
planned visit of the Mirwaiz was "unrelated" to India allowing
the Dalai Lama to tour Arunachal Pradesh.

Chinese experts, quoted by People's Daily, the
mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party, as well as its
affiliate Global Times, say China is not interfering in
the Kashmir issue despite Beijing's invitation to the Mirwaiz.
PTI AKJ
NNNN



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