China urges restraint as India-Pakistan tensions escalate with military strikes
Chinese foreign ministry statement says the two neighbours are also China’s neighbours and calls for peace to be prioritised
“India and Pakistan are neighbours who cannot be moved away, and both are also China’s neighbours. China opposes all forms of terrorism,” the ministry said.
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India launches strikes on Pakistan, Islamabad vows to ‘settle the score’
“We call on both India and Pakistan to prioritise the overall situation of peace and stability, maintain calm and restraint, and avoid taking actions that would further complicate the situation.”
The statement was issued hours after a sharp escalation in tensions between the nuclear-armed countries following India’s military strikes on alleged terrorist camps inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered parts of Kashmir.
India’s defence ministry said earlier that it had conducted “precision strikes at terrorist camps” at nine locations, which it claimed were used to plan and direct attacks against India.
At least eight people were killed and 38 others wounded in the strikes that India called “Operation Sindoor”, Associated Press reported, citing the Pakistani military.