Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday conveyed his "deep" grief to Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji over the massive earthquake in Taiwan, which he called a province of China, officials said.
Islamabad, which maintains a one-China policy, has no diplomatic ties with Taipei.
In an apparent reaffirmation of its policy, Sharif in his message to Zhu said Tuesday's quake in "China's Taiwan province" has "grieved me deeply."
"On behalf of the government and people of Pakistan and on my own behalf, I convey our heartfelt condolences to the government and people of China," said the message, the text of which was released by the foreign ministry.
It comes on the heels of the UN's decision to ask permission of China in sending a team of rescue workers to Taiwan, a move that left many in Taiwan embittered by what has been seen as political point-scoring.
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