Thaindian News

Beijing, May 18 (IANS) Beijing hopes to see US-Pakistan relations improve, a Chinese daily said Wednesday as Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s visits China a fortnight after Osama bin Laden was gunned down by US commandos.

Gilani began a four-day official visit to China Tuesday.

The trip comes amid strained ties between the US and Pakistan after Osama was shot dead May 2 by US Navy SEALs in Pakistan’s Abbottabad city. The US said it had taken unilateral action to take out the Al Qaeda leader.

An editorial in the China Daily said that since then, “the two sides have collided over questions such as whether the US operation infringed upon Pakistan’s sovereignty and whether Islamabad had been shielding world’s No 1 terrorist in recent years”.

“Given the all-weather friendship between Beijing and Islamabad, there has been some speculation that Gilani’s visit to China is a move to seek support amid the growing tensions in US-Pakistani ties.”

It added that the “traditional friendly relations between Beijing and Islamabad are long-standing and have withstood the test of time. Their stable and growing bilateral relationship does not target any third party, but rather contributes to regional peace and stability”.

The editorial said: “China hopes to see US-Pakistani relations improve as it is in the same boat with the two countries in fighting terrorism.”

It went on to say that Osama’s death “does not necessarily mean the world can now slacken its vigilance and reduce its efforts against the global scourge of terrorism”.

“It is hoped this diplomacy will help mend the fences and deepen mutual trust between Islamabad and Washington, so that the two countries can continue their cooperation in the war against terror.”