"China's position on the issue of Kashmir is clear and consistent. It is an issue left over from history between India and Pakistan, and shall be properly addressed by India and Pakistan through consultation and negotiation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told PTI here.He also said that China will play a "constructive role" for the improvement of relations between India and Pakistan. "The building of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) does not affect China's position on this issue," he said in a written response to a question about the article in the state-run Global Times, a ruling Communist Party of China publication. "We sincerely hope that India and Pakistan will properly handle differences by increasing communication and dialogue, and jointly uphold regional peace and stability. "Given the massive investment that China has made in countries along the One Belt, One Road, China now has a vested interest in helping resolve regional conflicts including the dispute over Kashmir between India and Pakistan," it had said.This was perhaps the first time that the Chinese official media floated Beijing's interest in playing a mediatory role to resolve the Kashmir issue.

Source: Times of India May 03, 2017 13:09 UTC