China: Raking the Jammu and Kashmir issue yet again, the Chinese government said it will not attend the next week's G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in the valley. Addressing a regular press conference on Friday (May 19), Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that Beijing is "firmly" opposed to holding any such meetings in the "disputed territory."
His statement came as the third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting is scheduled to take place from May 22-24 in Srinagar under India's presidency. "China firmly opposes holding any form of G20 meetings on disputed territory. We will not attend such meetings," Wenbin said when asked about several reports doing the rounds that China will boycott G20 meetings scheduled in Jammu and Kashmir.
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China on ongoing G7 Summit in Kiroshima
On being asked about the ongoing G7 Summit in Hiroshima where US President Joe Biden visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum on Friday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said despite characterizing itself as an advocate of a nuclear-weapons-free world, "Japan sits comfortably under the US's nuclear umbrella."
"The tragedies caused by nuclear weapons should never happen again. Japan has characterized itself as an advocate of a nuclear-weapons-free world. But in fact, Japan sits comfortably under the US's nuclear umbrella, and it is against and hindering the US' renouncing of the first use of nuclear weapons. We also hope that Japan will no longer take a hypocritical position on the relevant issue," Wenbin said.
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China -- a close ally of Pakistan
Incidentally, China is a close ally of Pakistan and relations between New Delhi and Islamabad have been precarious for many years with regard to cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. The tourism industry has played a crucial role in the development of the Union Territory.
However, years of instability have impacted the tourism industry, leading to a decline in the number of visitors. Tourism players in Kashmir believe that the G20 meeting can attract investors and tourists from across the globe. India assumed the presidency of the G20 grouping on December 1, 2022, and will hold the post for a year.
It should be noted here that the G20 summit in Jammu and Kashmir promises to initiate a tidal wave of transformative outcomes, setting the region on a new trajectory towards stability, economic growth, and social development.
(With ANI inputs)
