China 'strongly' urges India and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions

Beijing: China on Saturday “strongly” urged India and Pakistan to exercise calm and restraint and return to the track of peaceful settlement.

In a statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, officials expressed deep concern over the escalation, emphasising that China is closely monitoring the evolving situation between the two nations.

"We strongly urge both sides to act in the larger interest of peace and stability, exercise calm and restraint, return to the track of political settlement through peaceful means, and refrain from any action that could further escalate tensions," the statement issued by the spokesperson of the ministry said.

“This will be important for the fundamental interest of both India and Pakistan and for a stable and peaceful region. This is also what the international community hopes to see. China is willing to continue to play a constructive role to this end," it said.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated following precision strikes by the Indian armed forces on Wednesday, targeting terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which had cross-border linkages.

In retaliation, Pakistan launched a fresh wave of drone attacks on Friday night, targeting 26 locations across India—from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat. The Indian defence ministry reported that all attempts to strike vital installations, including airports and air bases, were successfully thwarted.

(inputs from PTI)