A top US Senator has said that Pakistan would have never acquired nuclear weapons without the assistance of China.
"Pakistan wouldn't have acquired nuclear weapons if it hadn't have been for Chinese assistance," Senator Jim Webb, said on Monday at the Council on Foreign Relations, a Washington-based think tank.
He said that China has a long-standing relationship with Pakistan.
"When Chairman Kerry (John Kerry) left Pakistan recently, as soon as he left, the Prime Minister of Pakistan went to China and said China's our greatest friend," Webb said.
The Senator said that the US and the international community should encourage China to take part in solutions in a way that is proportionate to the influence the country has accumulated with its growing economy and sophisticated military.
Webb, however, alleged that China has not being doing that.
"They've been kind of comfortable taking a step back whether it's Iran or Burma. They've got a tremendous strategic advantage in Burma," he said.
"... the Pakistan situation would give the Chinese an opportunity to demonstrate that they can step forward and help us resolve some of these issues," said Webb.
They're going to benefit from stability in the region if we bring about stability in Afghan situation, he added.
"They have an opportunity here to show that they can help us resolve some of these complicated problems, and I hope they'll step forward and do it," he said.
