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Beijing (AFP) May 24, 2011 China's foreign ministry said Tuesday it was unaware of a request by Pakistan to Beijing for help in building a naval base at its deep-sea port of Gwadar, strategically located on the Arabian Sea. Pakistan's defence minister Ahmad Mukhtar, who accompanied Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on a visit to China last week, said Saturday the proposal had been made during the trip, which highlighted the neighbours' close ties. "I haven't heard of this project. As far as I know this subject was not brought up during the visit last week" by Gilani, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters. "China and Pakistan are friendly neighbours and engage in extensive cooperation across the board. Over the years, China has provided assistance to Pakistan within our capacity," she added. Jiang said Beijing hoped that assistance would help Pakistan "realise sustainable development" and improve the livelihood of its people. China provided about 75 percent of the initial $250 million in funding for the construction of Gwadar port in Pakistan's southwestern province of Baluchistan. It is currently operated by Singapore's PSA International. Mukhtar said China had agreed to take over port operations, without offering a timetable, adding Islamabad would be "more grateful to the Chinese government if a naval base was being constructed at the site of Gwadar for Pakistan". Gilani's trip to China was widely seen as a way for Islamabad to deflect pressure from Washington in the wake of the May 2 killing of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a US special forces raid on Pakistani soil. China has long been one of Pakistan's closest allies, and is its main arms supplier. Mukhtar said Pakistan hopes to take delivery within the next six months of 50 JF-17 fighter jets manufactured jointly with China. Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony on Friday voiced "serious concern" about defence ties between China and Pakistan and said New Delhi would need to bolster its own military capabilities in response.
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