China and Pakistan like to call each other
China on Monday reassured Pakistan that relations between the two countries were as firm as ever and would « never rust », ahead of a meeting this week between President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that could unnerve Islamabad.
China and Pakistan like to call each other « all weather friends » and their traditional close ties have long been viewed with suspicion by Pakistan’s neighbour and traditional enemy, India.
But Modi has tried to reset relations with Beijing after a years of disagreements over everything from their border to exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, and will hold an informal summit with Xi on Friday and Saturday in China.