BEIJING, May 24: China’s foreign ministry said on 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.

Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar, who accompanied Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on a visit to China last week, said on 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,” she added.—AFP