05-25-2011, 08:16 AM
[url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/China-rejects-Pakistans-naval-base-request/articleshow/8558817.cms?prtpage=1"]China rejects Pakistan's naval base request[/url]
Quote:Saibal Dasgupta, TNN | May 24, 2011, 09.05pm IST BEIJING: Apparently jolted by the [url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Taliban"]Taliban[/url] attack on Pakistan's naval base, China on Tuesday indicated it would not invest funds on creating another naval base in that country.
Chinese foreign ministry said it had not seen any proposal to build a naval base in Pakistan. The statement amounts to a rejection of Pakistani defense minister Ahmad Mukhtar's claim that his government was pushing [url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Beijing"]Beijing[/url] to build a naval base near the Gawdar port.
"China and Pakistan are friendly neighbors. Regarding the specific [url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=China-Pakistan%20cooperative%20project"]China-Pakistan cooperative project[/url] that you raised, I have not heard of it," [url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Jiang-Yu"]Jiang Yu[/url], Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman told a regular news conference in Beijing.
This is a reject of Mukhtar's claim that China had "acceded to Pakistan's request to take over operations" of the Gwadar port. "However, we shall be more grateful to the Chinese if they agree to build naval base at Gwadar," the Pakistani defense minister said last Saturday.
Jiang's statement is significant because it comes after the Taliban attack on a naval base in Pakistan, and the four-day China tour by the country's prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani.
"It's my understanding that during the visit last week this issue was not touched upon," Jiang said.
The [url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=Gwadar%20port"]Gwadar port[/url] was built in 2007 with Chinese assistance amounting to $200 million. Pakistan has since been asking Beijing to put more money for expanding the capabilities at the port.
Pakistan's purpose is to show the [url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/United-States"]United States[/url] that it has an alternative source of funding if Washington cuts off aid. The strategy has been punctured by the statement by the Chinese foreign ministry, which has rejected funding both for port expansion and the naval base.
Jiang also indicated China's assistance program was mainly aimed at welfare of the people rather than military assistance.
"For a long time China has done its utmost to provide help to Pakistan and we hope this