hina Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang on Friday said that the country never recognised India and Pakistan as the nuclear weapon states. Lu Kang also said that China's position on the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) remains firm and unchanged.
Lu Kang's statements came when he was asked if China accepts the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as a nuclear power similar to India and Pakistan.
On Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's proposal for a joint investigation in the Pulwama terror attack "if India hands over credible evidence", Lu Kang said that China welcomes Pakistan's goodwill gesture.
"China always maintains that India and Pakistan should continue to take more positive measures to create an enabling atmosphere, strive to resolve all outstanding issues between them through dialogue, and jointly stay committed to keeping the region peaceful and stable. China also has all along been encouraging them to do so," he said.
This serves the interests of both countries and is what China hopes to see, he said.
The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson also said that the country has been calling on both India and Pakistan to exercise the upmost restraint and take measures to resolve problems between the two countries.
He appreciated Pakistan's gesture and "goodwill it sent to India" by releasing Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. He also said that India and Pakistan are each other's neighbours and cannot be moves away.
"The -escalation of tensions between the two countries is in the fundamental interests of both sides. We encourage both parties to continue to move in the same direction and take substantive steps in resolving relevant disputes through consultations and dialogues to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability."
