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Islamabad. The President was in an ebullient mood. The factory had been built with Chinese aid, and it seemed a good moment to underscore Peking's support.
Yahya thanked China "for renewing the assurance that should Pakistan be subjected to foreign aggression, the Chinese government and people will, as always, resolutely support the Pakistan government and people." Then it was China's turn. Peking's own special emissary, Li Shui-ching of the First Ministry of Machine Building, spoke glowingly of Chinese-Pakistani friendship, but he carefully avoided any mention of the tension with India or of specific aid from Peking. Then, in a surprising and symbolic gesture, he released a boxful of doves.
The message was clear—peace, not war—but whether the subcontinent's bitter antagonists would heed it was very much in question.