Did China ask Pakistan to detain Hafiz Saeed? Top Chinese official's visit raises speculation

Beijing: A planned visit by a top Chinese counter-terrorism official to Pakistan has raised speculation that Beijing may have advised Islamabad to detain Mumbai terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed, a media report said on Friday.

Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping, who handles terrorism, will "shortly" travel to Pakistan to "discuss counter-terrorism efforts", India Today reported.

Pakistan had put Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed under "house arrest" this week.

Asked if China had put pressure on Pakistan to detain Hafiz Saeed, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang on Friday reportedly did not outrightly deny its role and said "I noticed relevant reports".

He, however, defended Islamabad's counter terrorism record.

"For a long time Pakistan made enormous efforts and sacrifice on counter terrorism," he said.

"China supports independent strategies made by Pakistan in counter terrorism and supports the international community in conducting cooperation on that," the report quoted Lu as saying.

China has expressed concern over links between terror groups operating in both countries.

The East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) in western China is believed to have links with Pakistani extremist groups.

The report said Pakistan's Director General of ISI Lieutanant General Naveed Mukhtar visited China last month to assuage Chinese fears about safety of its personnel and projects in Pakistan.

Some media reports however have suggested that the Pakistani move may have been aimed at assuaging the new Donald Trump administration in the United States.