China says it will support Pakistan in anti-terror efforts

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BEIJING: China will further support Pakistan's efforts to combat terrorism, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said on Tuesday, two days after the United States confirmed it had killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan without the help Pakistani forces.

Jiang said Pakistan has been at the "forefront" of terror threats. She said China supported Pakistan developing its fight against terror "based on the facts and its own conditions."

Pakistan has faced international scrutiny since bin Laden was killed by US special forces, with questions over whether Pakistan's military and intelligence were unable to catch him or knew all along where he was hiding.

China and Pakistan share close ties, underpinned by longstanding wariness of their common neighbour, India, and a desire to hedge against US influence in the region.