World News
China Joins Trump in Claiming Mediation Role in India-Pakistan Standoff
China has claimed it mediated tensions between India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor, echoing earlier remarks by Donald Trump. India has firmly denied any third-party mediation, saying the standoff ended through direct military talks.
China has claimed that it played a mediating role in easing tensions between India and Pakistan following their military confrontation earlier this year, months after former US President Donald Trump made similar assertions about Washington’s involvement.
Speaking at the Symposium on the International Situation and China’s Foreign Relations on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing had mediated in several global conflicts, including the India-Pakistan standoff. The statement was later shared by China’s Foreign Ministry on social media platform X.
“To build peace that lasts, we have taken an objective and just stance, focusing on addressing both symptoms and root causes,” Wang said. “Following this Chinese approach to settling hotspot issues, we mediated in northern Myanmar, the Iranian nuclear issue, the tensions between Pakistan and India, the issues between Palestine and Israel, and the recent conflict between Cambodia and Thailand.”
Wang’s remarks come months after India and Pakistan were locked in a brief but intense military confrontation in May, triggered by a terror attack in the Pahalgam valley of Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, in which 26 civilians were killed.
India responded with Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The escalation lasted four days before hostilities were halted.
New Delhi has consistently rejected claims of any third-party mediation, maintaining that the de-escalation was achieved through direct military-to-military communication.
According to the Indian government, after sustaining significant damage, Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) contacted his Indian counterpart, and both sides agreed to cease all firing and military action on land, air and sea with effect from May 10.
China’s renewed claim has drawn attention to its role during the crisis, particularly in light of its close strategic and defence ties with Pakistan. China remains Pakistan’s largest supplier of military hardware.
In November, a report by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, an advisory body to the US Congress, accused Beijing of orchestrating a disinformation campaign following Operation Sindoor. The report alleged that fake social media accounts circulated AI-generated images of fabricated aircraft debris to undermine sales of French Rafale fighter jets while promoting China’s J-35 fighter aircraft.
On the diplomatic front, China had called for restraint on the first day of Operation Sindoor, while also expressing concern over India’s military action.
“China finds India’s military operation early this morning regrettable. We are concerned about the ongoing situation,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on May 7.
