China 'strongly' urges India, Pakistan to exercise calm, restraint

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

China is closely following the ongoing situation between India and Pakistan and is deeply concerned about the escalation, a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry here.

"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 increased after the Indian armed forces on Wednesday conducted precision strikes targeting terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that had cross-border linkages.

Pakistan launched a fresh wave of drone attacks targeting 26 locations in India -- from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat -- for the second night on Friday, with the defence ministry saying the enemy's attempts to hit vital installations, including airports and air bases, were successfully thwarted.