SCO membership on the cards: China urges India, Pak to improve relations

Beijing: The Chinese government, calling India and Pakistan ‘good friends’ urged both countries to enhance mutual trust and improve relations through more dialogue.

In an official statement, China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said, “China looks forward to the early accession of India and Pakistan to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as full members”.

China also urges both nations to contribute to security, stability, common development and common prosperity of the region along with existent members, Chunying said.

The statement said that the memorandum on the obligations for India and Pakistan to obtain membership in the SCO was signed at the SCO Tashkent Summit in 2016.

Currently, all sides are going through relevant legal procedures in accordance with the memorandum, noted the spokesperson.

Citing India and Pakistan as China's important neighbours and countries in South Asia, spokesperson said, “China hopes that India and Pakistan can enhance mutual trust and improve relations through more dialogue”.

The spokesperson also said that this is conducive to not only the two countries themselves but also to regional prosperity and development.