Beijing March 24 : Pakistan Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque speaks at an event celebrating the 82nd anniversary of Pakistan Resolution, the National Day of Pakistan, in Beijing on March 23, 2022. Photo: Courtesy of the embassy of Pakistan

China and Pakistan have been very closely coordinating on the Ukraine crisis and share a common position on the issue, calling for the de-escalation of the conflict and dialogue between the relevant parties, said Moin ul Haque, Ambassador of Pakistan to China, in an exclusive interview with the Global Times on Wednesday.

Haque’s comment came after Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday at a joint conference with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi that China and Pakistan should strengthen coordination on international and regional issues such as Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Wednesday marks the 82nd anniversary of the Pakistan Resolution, the National Day of Pakistan. The Pakistan Day Parade was held in Islamabad on Wednesday, with Wang attending the event. Wang was invited to attend the foreign ministers’ meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation(OIC) in Pakistan. 

Haque said the special participation of Wang in the OIC meeting demonstrated the ironclad friendship between China and Pakistan, as the two countries not only have strong ties, but also closely collaborate on international issues. 

The two countries have been “very closely coordinating” on the Ukraine crisis and share a common position on the issue, the ambassador told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

“Both countries’ positions are common. We are worried. We have called for the de-escalation and cessation of this conflict, and called for dialogue between the parties, Ukraine and Russia, to resolve this issue,” he said. 

Expressing concerns about the growing humanitarian situation in Ukraine, he stressed that all the countries should see that “people are suffering from this conflict” and pointed out that both China and Pakistan have given humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

China has provided 5 million yuan ($785,500) worth of materials to Ukraine in emergency humanitarian assistance and the Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday that it will send an additional 10 million yuan worth of assistance. 

Pakistan also sent aid on March 15 to Ukraine, including emergency medicine, electro-medical equipment, food items and other items of human needs, Pakistan media reported.

“This is a time for mature diplomacy. Let diplomacy be at work. We should not be finger pointing each other. It is time for solidarity and collective work,” said Haque. 

He mentioned that China and Pakistan are also closely coordinating at the UN forum, calling for the respect of UN principles, respect for sovereignty, and territorial integrity for all nations.

China and Pakistan have a very unique relationship and strong bilateral ties, both striving for peace, development and prosperity of the entire region, said the ambassador. 

At the Pakistan Day Parade on Wednesday, Chinese-built J-10CE fighter jets also made an appearance with a first-ever flypast, which shows the importance of the defense ties between the two countries, said Haque in a speech at an event celebrating the National Day in Beijing. But he stressed that the defense collaboration between China and Pakistan is for peace and the stability of the region and not directed against any third country.