With just days left for Xi Jinping to visit India for an informal summit, the Chinese President on Wednesday reportedly said that he was watching the situation in Kashmir and would support Pakistan in issues related to its core interests.

According to a report in Xinhua News Agency, Xi told Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan during a meeting in Beijing that the right and wrong of the situation was clear, adding that the parties should resolve the dispute via peaceful dialogue.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the second informal summit near Chennai on October 11 and 12.

PM Modi will hold one-to-one and delegation-level talks with the Chinese President. Meeting between the two leaders has no specific agenda. The focus of the meeting is on improving people-to-people contacts and on how to maintain peace and tranquillity along on India-China border.

Meanwhile, India has ruled out any scope of discussion between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the Kashmir issue, asserting that all countries, including Beijing, have been told categorically and clearly that abrogation of Article 370 is totally an “internal matter” of New Delhi.

Government sources further said that India does not see Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to China ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to India as ‘hyphenation” and added that “it is of no concern to India”.

Ahead of the informal summit between the two leaders, China has moderated its stand on Kashmir, saying the issue should be resolved between India and Pakistan through dialogue and consultation.

“China’s position on the Kashmir issue is clear and consistent. We call on India and Pakistan to engage in dialogue and consultation on all issues including Kashmir issue and consolidate mutual trust. This is in line with the interest of both countries and common aspiration of the world,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang had said on Tuesday.

Ties between the two countries strained when India scrapped Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy and bifurcated the state into two Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, which will come into being on October 31.

Meanwhile, China has extended its support to help Pakistan develop faster and better.

During the meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, President Xi Jinping said China and Pakistan have a fine tradition of mutual support and assistance.