‘Bizzare’: New Delhi on Wang Yi claim that Beijing mediated between India, Pakistan

NEw new delhi: Chinese strange government minister Wang Yi said on tues “tensions betwixt India and Pakistan” were among issues “mediated” by Beijing this year, a claim that went against New Delhi’s assertion that a conflict in May ended following talks between Indian and Pakistani military officials.Wang made the claim while speaking at the “Symposium on the International Situation and China’s Foreign Relations” in Beijing. His claim, however, went against India’s assertion that the May 7-10 conflict with Pakistan was resolved through direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries.“This year, local wars and cross-border conflicts flared up more often than at any time since the end of World War II. Geopolitical turbulence continued to spread,” Wang said at the symposiumNoting that Beijing had focused on building peace that lasts, 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.”There was no reaction from Indian officials to Wang’s remarks, though people familiar with the matter said China played no role in the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan in May. India carried out military strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan on May 7 in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, triggering a brief but intense conflict that ended on May 10.“The claim by the Chinese side is bizarre,” one of the people cited above said.The people reiterated that talks between senior military officials of India and Pakistan alone led to the understanding to end military actions on May 10. They also noted that New Delhi has always maintained that there is no scope for mediation by third parties in all issues pertaining to India and Pakistan.“Perhaps the Chinese side is following in the footsteps of the US,” a second person said, referring to US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims about brokering a truce between India and Pakistan. Trump’s claim too has been rejected by India.China’s role in the conflict between India and Pakistan in May has come under scrutiny, with numerous reports suggesting that Beijing provided real-time surveillance and other assistance to Islamabad. Chinese-origin weapon systems, including combat jets, missiles and radars, also played a key role in the conflict.China’s arms exports amount to more than 81% of Pakistan’s military hardware. Indian officials have said China used the conflict in May to prove the capabilities of its weapon systems.Wang’s comments came against the backdrop of efforts by India and China to normalise relations following the end in October 2024 of a prolonged military standoff in Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).