After US President Donald Trump repeatedly claimed that Washington stopped a potential war between India and Pakistan, China has now claimed that it mediated tensions between the two countries following their military clashes earlier this year.
Speaking on Tuesday (local time) at the Symposium on the International Situation and China’s Foreign Relations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing had played a mediating role in several global conflicts, including the India-Pakistan standoff, the Chinese Foreign Ministry shared a statement on X.
“To build peace that lasts, we have taken an objective and just stance, and focused on addressing both symptoms and root causes. 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 said.
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, which took 26 innocent lives. India responded with Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Chinese foreign minister made the statement despite analysts saying that Beijing helped Pakistan during the May 7–10 Operation Sindoor conflict. Analysts say that China provided military assistance to Islamabad during the four-day conflict.
Putting the claim in perspective, observers say that, like Trump, China also wants to project itself as the peace negotiator for the global wars and conflicts. The Foreign Minister’s comments stressed the whole range of conflicts in which China played a positive role.
Even the Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Rahul R Singh, went to the extent of saying that Beijing used the confrontation as a “live lab.”
India has consistently dismissed claims of any third-party mediation, maintaining that the four-day confrontation was resolved through direct military-to-military communication.
New Delhi has maintained that, inflicted by this heavy damage, Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) called the Indian DGMO and both sides agreed to stop all firing and military action on land and in the air and sea with effect from May 10.
China’s claim has renewed focus on its role during the crisis, especially given its close defence ties with Pakistan. China is Pakistan’s largest arms supplier.
In November, a report published by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission accused China of orchestrating a disinformation campaign in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor.
The advisory body to the US Congress said Beijing used fake social media accounts to circulate AI-generated images of fabricated aircraft debris, allegedly aimed at undermining sales of French Rafale fighter jets while promoting its own J-35 aircraft.
On the diplomatic front, Beijing had called for restraint on the first day of Operation Sindoor, even as it expressed regret over India’s strikes.
“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.
(With inputs from ANI)
Also Read: After Trump, China Claims Credit For India-Pakistan Mediation, Citing ‘Objective Stance’
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
