New Delhi, May 3: Former US National Security Advisor (NSA) John Bolton on Saturday expressed deep concerns over China's growing influence on Pakistan, especially during the current "delicate situation" in the region following the heinous April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 innocent civilians were gunned down by four terrorists, two of them from Pakistan, after identifying their religion.

"I am concerned about the growing influence that China has over the government of Pakistan, which really is a threat to peace and security in that region. There's a lot at stake here and I think that the US role should be to cooperate closely with India, as we have in the past on counterterrorism measures, and perhaps cooperate more closely and continue to talk to the government of Pakistan about why this situation needs to come to an acceptable conclusion," Bolton told IANS in an exclusive interview.

NSA to the US President Donald Trump from 2018-2019, Bolton emphasised that the terror threat has returned to the region following the withdrawal of the US forces from Afghanistan, thus making sure that Washington remains "very interested" in Af-Pak for "eminently good reasons".

"Just speaking of Afghanistan, even the Biden administration testified in open Congressional hearings that the return of foreign terrorist fighters to Afghanistan probably meant that ISIS-K by this point could once again mount terrorist attacks around the world. So that terrorist threat unfortunately, since our withdrawal has returned.

"But, of course, the bigger problem is China, which I think continues to pursue a policy of hegemony. All along its Indo-Pacific periphery and in the disputed areas in all along the Line of Actual Control between China and India, but particularly, up near Kashmir. It's a very delicate situation that we've seen a lot of Chinese provocations over the years. I am very worried about increased Chinese influence on Pakistan. I don't think that's in the US interest or India's interest or the interest in peace and security in South Asia yet that continues to happen. Having that in mind, as well as dealing with the threat of terrorist attacks emanating from Pakistani territory, are very important priorities for the United States," stated Bolton.

The former US Ambassador to the United Nations also targetted China while slamming the current Trump administration for launching a trade war with "every country in the world" instead of dealing strongly with Beijing.

"I think the principal bad actor is China. I think we have all been harmed by Chinese practices like stealing intellectual property and subsidising their companies in competition with ours and not really opening their domestic market as they have promised to do. That is obviously not the way Trump is proceeding, but that is still the biggest problem," he reckoned.

(IANS)

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