China has conveyed its "appreciation" to Islamabad for showing "restraint and willingness to de-escalate" tensions, and said that it is in close touch with both India and Pakistan to “facilitate reconciliation and dialogue” in the wake of the heightened tensions between the two countries.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou was in Pakistan on a two-day visit from Tuesday, with a clear mission: “To communicate with Pakistan on recent tensions between India & Pakistan,” the Chinese foreign ministry has said.
Kong, who called on Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, conveyed Beijing’s “appreciation” to Islamabad for “its restraint and willingness to de-escalate” tensions with India through dialogue.
Beijing called on both sides to “avoid action to escalate tension, show goodwill and flexibility and hold dialogue as soon as possible”. Beijing also said it will play a constructive role in the effort.
“China appreciates Pakistan for its restraint & willing to deescalate through dialogue with India. China calls on them to avoid action to escalate tension, show goodwill & flexibility, & have a dialogue asap. China will play a constructive role.
The Chinese embassy tweeted on the talks held by Kong on Pakistan. The Chinese official conveyed that “the latest developments in India-Pakistan relations are not what we would like to see. China is committed to safeguarding regional peace and stability, and hopes to see India and Pakistan on good neighborly terms.”
While Beijing is pushing for regional peace, its position on the global ban on Jaish chief Masood Azhar is still unclear.
China has blocked the proposal to make Azhar a global terrorist citing “technical holds.”
