A day after attending the Shanghai Corporation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Goa, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang flew to Pakistan on Friday for a two-day visit, only to join Islamabad in seeking the settlement of the row over Kashmir. China and Pakistan raked up the long-standing dispute in a joint statement reiterating their position that the Kashmir issue should be properly and peacefully resolved in accordance with "the UN charter, relevant Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements."

This comes after India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar rebuked Pakistan, saying that the neighbouring country should answer when they will 'vacate the illegally occupied territories of Jammu and Kashmir'. India has always made it stand clear that terror and talks cannot go hand-in-hand. 

China said on Saturday that the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan was left over from history and should be resolved as per the UN resolutions while avoiding any unilateral action. The two sides issued a joint statement at the conclusion of the 4th round of the 'Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue' in Islamabad.

Qin Gang, who is on a two-day visit to Pakistan, chaired a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Bilwal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday. This is his first trip to the country. 

"The Chinese side reiterated that the Kashmir dispute was left over from history between India and Pakistan and should be properly and peacefully resolved in accordance with the UN Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements.

"Both sides opposed any unilateral actions that further complicate the already volatile situation," according to the statement, reported news agency PTI.

The entire range of bilateral relations and cooperation, including in political, strategic, economic, defence security, education and cultural domains was reviewed while regional and global issues of mutual interest were also discussed during the dialogue, the joint statement read.

An official response from India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is awaited on China-Pakistan joint statement on Kashmir. 

At the SCO meeting held on May 4 and 5 in Goa, foreign minister S Jaishankar launched one of his sharpest attacks on Pakistan over terrorism and Jammu and Kashmir, calling his visiting Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto a "promoter, justifier and a spokesperson" of the terror industry.

Jaishankar also slammed the neighbouring nation for raising objections to India hosting G-20 meetings in Srinagar. 

"They have nothing to do with the G-20, nothing to do with even Srinagar and Kashmir. They should answer when they will vacate the illegally occupied territories of Jammu and Kashmir," S Jaishankar said at the SCO meeting.

'When Will Pakistan Vacate PoK?' Jaishankar's Unsparing Words Tear Into Bilawal Bhutto At SCO

He said Jammu and Kashmir "was, is and will" always be part of India.

Responding to another question about Bhutto Zardari raising the issue of revocation of Article 370 in J&K, he said, "Wake up and smell the coffee. Article 370 is history."

On the Pakistan Foreign Minister's statement that "peace is destiny", he said, "Whether peace is destiny or not, terrorism is not destiny."

Interestingly, in March this year, Bilwal Bhutto Zardari accepted that there are no takers of its 'Kashmir' agenda at the United Nations council, adding that Pakistan has failed to get any traction or support for its agenda from the wider UN membership.

(With inputs from agencies)