US Pressure Won't Change Pak Ties With China, Says PM Imran Khan: Report

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, clarifying his stand on ties with China, said that it is very unfair of the United States and western powers to force countries like Pakistan to take sides and downgrade their ties with China.

Imran Khan made these observations in an interview with state broadcaster China Global Television Network (CGTN) which was reported by The News International.

"It is very unfair for the US and other western powers to force countries like us to take sides. We should have good relations with everyone. It's not going to happen that if pressure is put on Pakistan to changes its relationship or downgrade its relationship with China. It won't happen," he said.

"The relationship with China is very deep. It's not a relationship between governments, its people to people relationship. To sum up, whatever will happen, our relationship between the two countries, no matter what pressure is put on us, is not going to change," he added.

The publication further reported that the Prime Minister while answering about the friendship of both the countries in the regional context said, Pakistan had always had a very special relationship with China and "that relationship has only gotten stronger with time and both always stand together at international forums."

He noted that there was a strange, great rivalry taking place in the region which was public knowledge. "You see the US being wary of China. The way the US and China are looking at each other creates problems because what the United States is doing is it's formed this regional alliance called the Quad, which is US, India and a couple of other countries," he said.

The US has taken sharply opposing positions against China in various issues including the trace of the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the human rights exploitations of Uyghur Muslims in China's Xinjiang province.