China is "working hard" to improve ties between India and close-ally Pakistan, despite facing heavy criticism from within and its expression of happiness over President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to India is "no hollow diplomatic gesture", a state-run daily said Tuesday. "China has been committed to peaceful development, including efforts at fostering peace between long-term rivals," an article in Global Times, a ruling Communist Party run daily said. Significantly it said China is pursuing this policy despite internal criticism. "China has been working hard to help better the relationship between India and Pakistan, a move that has even been lambasted by some of its own nationals", it said. China's expression of happiness over the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in New Delhi last week is "no hollow diplomatic gesture", it added. The article has not elaborated on criticism within China to the policy of encouraging rapprochement Pakistan, China's long term close ally and India which is perceived as a strategic rival in the Chinese establishment. As China improved its relations with India on trade and political fronts in the past few years, much to the disquiet of Pakistan, this is the first time that a Chinese daily referred to such criticism. The article said despite China's efforts to improve India-Pak relations, "the so-called "China Threat" theory chanted by the West has blinded some neighbouring countries into taking a hardline approach against China".