• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DATE=6/29/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-251214
TITLE=CHINA / PAKISTAN (L-O)
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF HAS DECIDED TO CUT 
SHORT HIS  VISIT TO CHINA AND RETURN HOME TO DEAL WITH HIS 
COUNTRY'S DISPUTE WITH  INDIA OVER KASHMIR.  V-O-A CORRESPONDENT 
ROGER WILKISON REPORTS MR. SHARIF WAS APPARENTLY UNABLE TO 
CONVINCE CHINA'S LEADERS TO FIRMLY SUPPORT  PAKISTAN'S CALL FOR A
NEGOTIATED FINAL SETTLEMENT OF THE HALF-CENTURY-OLD DISPUTE.
TEXT:  MR. SHARIF HAD ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO STAY IN CHINA UNTIL 
SATURDAY,  BUT PAKISTANI DIPLOMATS IN BEIJING SAY HE IS GOING 
HOME EARLY BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION IN KASHMIR.
FOR THE PAST MONTH, INDIA HAS BEEN TRYING TO EXPEL GUERRILLAS 
LODGED IN THE KASHMIRI HIGHLANDS ON ITS SIDE OF THE DE FACTO 
BORDER WITH PAKISTAN.   INDIA CALLS THE INSURGENTS 
PAKISTANI-BACKED INFILTRATORS.  PAKISTAN DESCRIBES THE GUERRILLAS
AS KASHMIRI FREEDOM FIGHTERS.
MR. SHARIF HELD SEPARATE MEETINGS TUESDAY IN BEIJING WITH 
PRESIDENT JIANG  ZEMIN AND LI PENG --THE HEAD OF CHINA'S 
PARLIAMENT AND THE NUMBER TWO MAN IN THE COMMUNIST HIERARCHY.  ON
MONDAY,  HE MET WITH PREMIER ZHU RONGJI. NEITHER SIDE DISCLOSED 
DETAILS OF THE TALKS.
DIPLOMATS IN THE CHINESE CAPITAL SAY THE PAKISTANI LEADER SOUGHT 
CHINA'S SUPPORT FOR ISLAMABAD'S INSISTENCE THAT THE KASHMIR 
DISPUTE CAN ONLY BE SETTLED THROUGH A UNITED NATIONS-MANDATED 
PLEBISCITE IN THE REGION.  PAKISTAN MAINTAINS SUCH A PLEBISCITE 
WOULD ALLOW THE MOSTLY MUSLIM KASHMIRIS TO CHOOSE WHETHER TO JOIN
MAINLY HINDU INDIA OR ISLAMIC PAKISTAN.
ALTHOUGH IT IS A CLOSE ALLY OF PAKISTAN AND HAS SUPPLIED THE 
ISLAMIC STATE  WITH WEAPONS, CHINA HAS BEEN STUDIOUSLY NEUTRAL IN
ISLAMABAD'S CURRENT CRISIS WITH INDIA OVER KASHMIR.  CHINESE 
FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN ZHANG QIYUE -- SPEAKING THROUGH AN 
INTERPRETER TUESDAY -- REPEATED BEIJING'S PREVIOUS CALLS FOR BOTH
SIDES TO WORK TOWARD A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF THE CONFLICT.
                 /////INTERPRETER ACTUALITY/////
         WE ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED OVER THIS SITUATION.  WE BELIEVE
         THAT BOTH INDIA  AND PAKISTAN ARE IMPORTANT COUNTRIES IN
         THIS REGION AND THEY BEAR IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITIES FOR
         REGIONAL PEACE AND STABILITY.
                      /////END ACTUALITY/////
MS. ZHANG SAYS BOTH SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRIES SHOULD MAKE EFFORTS TO 
FURTHER AVOID AGGRAVATING THE SITUATION IN KASHMIR.
DIPLOMATS IN BEIJING SAY THAT, DESPITE CHINA'S TRADITIONAL 
FRIENDSHIP WITH PAKISTAN AND RIVALRY WITH INDIA, CHINA IS WORRIED
ABOUT A WAR ON ITS WESTERN BORDER INVOLVING TWO COUNTRIES THAT 
ARE NOW ARMED WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS.  (SIGNED)
NEB/RW/JO/KL
29-Jun-99 6:58 AM EDT (1058 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.