Musharraf fails to get Chinese backing on J-K

Musharraf fails to get Chinese backing on J-K
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

BEIJING, JANUARY 19: Though Pakistani military ruler General Pervez Musharraf returned home triumphantly with the Chinese support for his regime, he apparently failed to "convince" the Communist leadership to back Islamabad's hazardous stand on the Kashmir issue, observers here said.

"There is no doubt that the Chinese rolled out the red carpet for Gen Musharraf. However, on the sensitive question of Kashmir, they did not succumb to the hazardous stand of the Pakistani General," one observer told PTI on Wednesday, a day after the the Army ruler won Beijing's support for his military regime.

China openly backed Pakistan's claim to all of Kashmir in the 1960s and 1970s but appeared to avoid taking sides in recent years in tune with easing of tensions with India.

"This was evident in the statements made by the top three Chinese leaders, president Jiang Zemin, Parliament Speaker Li Peng and Premier Zhu Rongji, who avoided commenting, at least publicly, on Indo-Pak relations or on Kashmir," theobserver said.

However, foreign ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao had commented on the vexed Kashmir issue at a regular news briefing saying that China hoped that India and Pakistan would settle all their disputes including Kashmir issue in a peaceful manner.

"Due to historical and regional reasons, there are certain problems existing between South Asian countries. However, China hopes that all parties concerned would properly handle their divergence through peaceful negotiations, and therefore become good neighbours, friends and partners," Zhu had said on Tuesday.

However, Gen Musharraf seems to have swayed the official Chinese media going by the headlines and contents of some of the reports seen here on Wednesday, observers felt.

"Pakistan waves olive branch at neighbour," says China daily, the Communist nations leading English-language newspaper.

The daily quotes the Pakistani chief executive as telling President Jiang that Pakistan is willing to resolve all of its disputes with India andthat his country wants to maintain peace and stability in South Asia.

"A vexing problem has been the border between India and Pakistan in Kashmir...," the newspaper said.

While Gen Musharraf's prime objective on this trip was to win the Chinese political and diplomatic support, he was also able to get some economic concessions from Islamabad's most trusted ally.

Sources said that China has agreed to reschedule its loans to Pakistan which were due on December 1999.

The decision was taken by Chinese Premier Zhu at a formal talks session with Gen Musharraf here on Monday. These loans would be rescheduled for payment between 2010 and 2019, sources said.

China and Pakistan also signed an agreement on economic and technical cooperation aimed at further developing friendly relations and economic cooperation between the all-weather friends.