CHINA: FIX POLITICAL ISSUES TO END TERROR

China said the only way to “eradicate breeding grounds of terrorism and extremism” is to politically resolve issues and promote development for all. Prosperity can end terrorism, the Chinese foreign ministry said.

BEIJING: China on Friday said the only way to “eradicate breeding grounds of terrorism and extremism” from the world is to politically resolve issues and promote development for all.

Prosperity would put an end to terrorism, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a written statement to Hindustan Times.

According to Beijing, that is the “fundamental” way to fight terrorism. Foreign minister, Wang Yi, used the phrase “eradicating breeding grounds of terrorism” after the Russia-IndiaChina (RIC) foreign ministers’ meet in the town of Wuzhen in eastern China on Wednesday.

“We agreed to jointly combat all forms terrorism through closer policy coordination and practical cooperation. Especially important is to eradicate the breeding grounds of terrorism and extremism,” Wang said, while summing up the consensus of the trilateral meet on countering terrorism. Wang’s statement led to speculation that China was seemingly giving India its approval to specifically root out terror camps in Pakistan — Indian leaders have described Pakistan as a “breeding ground of terrorism” at various forums over the years.

Responding to HT’s questions to clarify Wang’s statement, the foreign ministry’s answer indicated that Wang was actually speaking in broad terms. The response summarised China’s oft-repeated stand on terrorism, which, it said, is a “public enemy of mankind”. China, the statement said, wants the international community to “…actively promote political solutions to hotspot issues, strengthen dialogue and exchanges among civilisations, promote common development and prosperity of all countries and fundamentally eradicate the breeding ground of terrorism and extremist ideas”. Beijing has always maintained that the “international community should foster a sense of common human destiny on issues of counterterrorism...”. On Friday, foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said China welcomed Pakistan’s decision to return the Indian Air Force pilot to India.