By Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISTANBUL (AA) - Beijing on Monday said Islamabad has assured that Pakistan’s cooperation with the US in the minerals sector "won’t undermine" its ties with China.
“China and Pakistan have communicated on the issue of Pakistan-US mineral cooperation,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told Beijing-based Global Times during a news conference.
The Pakistani side “stressed its engagement with the US would never undermine China’s interests and China-Pakistan cooperation,” said Lin.
The Frontier Works Organization of Pakistan and the US Strategic Metals (USSM) last month signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on critical minerals in the South Asian nation.
According to a statement from the US Embassy in Islamabad, the Missouri-based USSM is focused on producing and recycling critical minerals, which the US Energy Department has defined as critical in manufacturing and energy production.
Beijing’s statement came in the wake of China’s expanded rare earth export restrictions, imposing limits on processing and manufacturing technologies and prohibiting cooperation with foreign companies without prior government authorization.
Lin said China’s announcement on export control measures concerning rare earths and related items has “nothing to do with Pakistan.”
“It is a legitimate step taken by the Chinese government in accordance with the laws and regulations to improve its export control system, better safeguard world peace and regional stability, and fulfill its non-proliferation obligations,” he added.
Pakistan and China are "all-weather strategic cooperative partners" whose bilateral trade volume climbed to over $23 billion last year, while the US is the South Asian nation's largest export destination, with bilateral trade valued at around $7.2 billion.
The "ironclad friendship" between China and Pakistan "has stood the test of time, with both sides maintaining a high level of strategic mutual trust and close communication on major issues concerning their shared interests," Lin said.