PTI, New Delhi :
China today jumped to the defence of its all-weather ally Pakistan in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s stern warning to it over providing safe havens to terrorists, claiming that Islamabad is at the frontline of combating terrorism.
Donald Trump, in his first prime-time televised address to announce his Afghanistan and South Asia policy, hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to “agents of chaos” that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has “much to lose” by harbouring terrorists.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, while reacting to President Trump’s comments on Pakistan, said, “Hope the relevant policy decision by US side will be conducive to promoting security, stability of the relevant region.”
“(On) President Trump’s remarks on Pakistan, I should say that Pakistan is at the frontline of fighting terrorism, has made sacrifices in fighting terrorism, making an important contribution to upholding peace and stability,” Ms Hua said, strongly defending Beijing’s all-weather friend Pakistan.
Donald Trump, in his address, said a pillar of his new strategy was a change in America’s approach to Pakistan.
He slammed Pakistan for its support to terror groups and warned Islamabad of consequences if it continues to do so. “We can no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist organisations, the Taliban, and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond,” President Trump said.
“Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort in Afghanistan. It has much to lose by continuing to harbour terrorists,” he said, in a warning to Pakistan.
Ms Hua, in response to Donald Trump’s scathing criticism of Pakistan’s support to terror groups, said, “I think the international community should truly affirm” the efforts made by Pakistan in combating terrorism. “We are pleased to see US and Pakistan to conduct cooperation in anti-terrorism efforts on the basis of mutual respect and contribute to the global peace and stability,” she said.
In his speech, Donald Trump slammed Islamabad for harbouring terrorists who target US service members. “But that will have to change. That will change immediately. No partnership can survive a country’s harbouring of terrorists who target US service members and officials. It is time for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilisation, order, and to peace,” President Trump said.
President Donald Trump cleared the way for the deployment of thousands more US troops to Afghanistan Monday, backtracking from his promise to rapidly end America’s longest war, while pillorying ally Pakistan for offering safe haven to “agents of chaos.”
In his first formal address to the nation as commander-in-chief, Trump discarded his previous criticism of the 16-year-old war as a waste of time and money, admitting things looked different from “behind the desk in the Oval Office.”
“My instinct was to pull out,” Trump said as he spoke of his frustration with a war that has killed thousands of US troops and cost US taxpayers trillions of dollars.
But following months of deliberation, Trump said he had concluded “the consequences of a rapid exit are both predictable and unacceptable” leaving a “vacuum” that terrorists “would instantly fill.”
While Trump refused to offer detailed troop numbers, senior White House officials said he had already authorized his defense secretary to deploy up to 3,900 more troops to Afghanistan.
He warned that the approach would now be more pragmatic than idealistic. Security assistance to Afghanistan was “not a blank check” he said, warning he would not send the military to “construct democracies in faraway lands or create democracies in our own image.”
“We are not nation building again. We are killing terrorists.”
The US has grown increasingly weary of the conflict that began in October 2001 as a hunt for the 9/11 attackers has turned into a vexed effort to keep Afghanistan’s divided and corruption-hindered democracy alive amid a brutal Taliban insurgency.
The Islamist group later vowed it would make the country “a graveyard” for the United States and would continue its “jihad” as long as American troops remained in the country.
