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'China accords equal importance to India, Pakistan'

NEW DELHI: China's ties with Pakistan pose no threat to India, and Beijing accords equal importance to both New Delhi and Islamabad, China's ambassador to India said on Friday.

Zhou Gang told a seminar here on late Thursday that China views Pakistan and India "on an equal footing. Our relations with India are no less important than with Pakistan".

The envoy downplayed the warm ties and cooperation between China and Pakistan, India's archrival, saying, "What Pakistan has received from China, India has also received from Russia".

He said the "normal" relations between Beijing and Islamabad only added to the "peace and stability" of the region.

The first-ever Sino-Indian security dialogue concluded in Beijing last week. During the talks, India warned that Chinese assistance to Pakistan's nuclear and missile programme was threatening regional stability.

China for its part bluntly refused to weaken its opposition to India's nuclear weapons programme.ÑPPI