China made efforts to defuse tensions between India-Pakistan: Wang

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told in an interview with the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper that Beijing had supported the efforts of India and Pakistan to defuse tensions and manage their differences through dialogue following the deadly Pulwama terror attack. The claims are connected to the visit by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou to Pakistan to counsel restraint from Islamabad while India and Pakistan were at the peak of tensions. Speaking on China's diplomatic achievements in 2019, Wang emphasized on the post-Pulwama tensions and Beijing's attempts to bring peace. Chinese Foreign Ministry circulated the transcript of the interview to the media on December 24.

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Wang claimed that "during the India-Pakistan conflict, China supported the efforts of the two sides to defuse tensions and manage differences through dialogue".

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Wang emphasized on India-China relations

The Foreign Minister did not directly mention the attacks in his statement. Besides this, he also mentioned the 2nd informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in October. The minister stated that the meeting helped the two sides to charter the course for the steady growth of their ties. Diplomatic relations with India were amongst the top of highlights of Chinese diplomacy in the neighborhood in the circulated interview.

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"There are many highlights in China's neighbourhood diplomacy this year. First, we have improved and developed relations with our neighbours in an all-round way. President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a successful second summit in Chennai and charted the course for the steady growth of China-India relations," Wang said.

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Pulwama attack

A convoy of vehicles carrying security personnel on the Jammu Srinagar National Highway was attacked on February 14, 2019, by a vehicle-borne suicide bomber at Lethpora in the Pulwama district, Jammu and Kashmir, India. The attack killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel. India retaliated to Pakistan's offensive claimed by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad by striking against their biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan. There were subsequent aerial combats between the air forces on February 27 when Pakistan jets entered India. An Indian Air force jet crashed in Pakistan while chasing a Pakistan jet resulting in the captivity of an IAF pilot who was injured in the accident. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was duly handed over to India within a few days. 

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(With inputs from PTI)