BEIJING , Aug 22 (INP) China defended Pakistan on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States could no longer be silent about Pakistan’s "safe havens" for militants and warned it had much to lose by continuing to "harbour terrorists". Asked about Trump’s speech, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Pakistan was on the front line in the struggle against terrorism and had made "great sacrifices" and "important contributions" in the fight. "We believe that the international community should fully recognise Pakistan’s anti-terrorism," she told a daily news briefing. "We are happy to see Pakistan and the United States carry out anti-terror cooperation on the basis of mutual respect, and work together for security and stability in the region and world." China and Pakistan consider each other "all-weather friends" and have close diplomatic, economic and security ties. "We hope the relevant U.S. policies can help promote the security, stability and development of Afghanistan and the region," Hua said. Trump on Monday committed the United States to an open-ended conflict in Afghanistan, signalling he would dispatch more troops to America’s longest war and vowing "a fight to win". INP/AH