Chinese foreign minister speaks to NSA Doval, condemns Pahalgam

NEW DELHI: As India and Pakistan reached a ceasefire understanding, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi spoke to NSA Ajit Doval stressing the need for a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire, while also condemning the terrorist attack in J&K's Pahalgam area and opposing all forms of terrorism, said a Xinhua report. There was no confirmation by the Indian side of the conversation.

The agency quoted Doval as saying that the attack in Pahalgam caused "serious casualties" for the Indian side and that India needs to take counter-terrorism actions.

"War is not the choice of the Indian side and is not in the interests of either side, he said, adding that both India and Pakistan will be committed to a ceasefire and look forward to restoring regional peace and stability as soon as possible," said the report.

As it looks to rebuild ties with India, China has in the past few weeks sought to balance its support for "all weather" ally Pakistan with a strong condemnation of the April 22 Pahalgam attack .

"Noting that the world is undergoing both transformation and upheaval, Wang said peace and stability in Asia are hard-won and deserve to be cherished, adding that India and Pakistan are neighbours that cannot be moved away, and that they are both neighbors of China," added the report.