Terming as "arrogant" External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's scathing attack on Islamabad at the UN for being the pre-eminent terror factory, a state- run Chinese daily on Monday in a grudging admission said that "there is indeed terrorism in Pakistan".
"India and Pakistan became free within hours of each other. Why is it that today India is a recognised IT superpower in the world, and Pakistan is recognised only as the pre-eminent export factory for terror?", Swaraj asked in her speech at the UN General Assembly.
"We established scientific and technical institutions which are the pride of the world. But what has Pakistan offered to the world and indeed to its own people apart from terrorism? We produced scholars, doctors, engineers. What have you produced? You have produced terrorists", she said referring to terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish- e-Muhammad.
The official media of China termed this as "bigotry".
"There is indeed terrorism in Pakistan. But is supporting terror the country's national policy? What can Pakistan gain from exporting terrorism? Money or honour," said an editorial in the state-run daily Global Times.
It takes for granted that it should be feared by neighbours and wooed by the US and Europe. If smart enough, India should befriend China and respect Pakistan, preventing disputes from spilling over, it said.
The editorial also made references to the 73-day standoff between India and China at Doklam which ended on 28 August.
“There is no reason for India to disdain China, a stronger and better-organized country. Instead, India should learn a lesson from the Doklam standoff and rid itself of incomprehensible smugness,” it concluded.
(This copy has been published in an arrangement with PTI.)
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