ISLAMABAD: The recent assertion by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi thatBeijing mediated tensions between India and Pakistan during their brief butintense military confrontation in May has intensified political scrutiny onPrime Minister Narendra Modi, compounding challenges already posed byrepeated claims from United States President Donald Trump. This developmentcomes amid India’s firm insistence that the ceasefire was achieved solelythrough direct military-to-military communication between the DirectorsGeneral of Military Operations of the two countries, with no third-partyinvolvement whatsoever.
The May conflict originated from a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammuand Kashmir, on April 22, which claimed 26 civilian lives, mostly tourists.India responded with Operation Sindoor, launching targeted strikes onterrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, laterexpanding to military installations. The four-day escalation ended on May10 when Pakistan’s DGMO reportedly reached out to his Indian counterpart toseek cessation of hostilities, leading to an agreement to halt all firingand military actions across land, air, and sea.
President Trump has repeatedly asserted his personal intervention througheconomic pressure and trade threats, claiming credit for averting a largerwar on numerous occasions since May. Indian officials, including PrimeMinister Modi, have consistently rejected these assertions, emphasizingbilateral resolution. Despite this, Trump’s statements have created apersistent narrative of external mediation, forcing the Modi government todefend its position domestically and internationally.
Wang Yi’s statement on December 30, delivered at the Symposium on theInternational Situation and China’s Foreign Relations in Beijing, placedthe India-Pakistan tensions among several global hotspots mediated by Chinathis year, including issues in northern Myanmar, the Iranian nuclear file,Palestine-Israel conflicts, and Cambodia-Thailand disputes. He describedChina’s approach as objective, just, and focused on addressing bothsymptoms and root causes to build lasting peace.
The claim has drawn sharp criticism from India’s opposition parties,particularly the Congress, which expressed deep concern over what it viewsas a contradiction to India’s official stance. Congress general secretaryJairam Ramesh highlighted that during Operation Sindoor, India effectivelyconfronted China as well, given Beijing’s decisive alignment with Pakistan,including supplying over 81 per cent of Islamabad’s military equipment andallegedly providing real-time intelligence support.
Ramesh urged Prime Minister Modi to break his silence, noting that Trump’sclaims had gone unanswered despite being repeated extensively, and nowChina’s assertion appeared to mock national security. He stressed the needfor clarity on any potential role China played in the abrupt halt tooperations, especially in the context of strained India-China relations.
Similarly, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president AsaduddinOwaisi described the Chinese claim as surprising and an affront to India’ssovereignty. He demanded an official rebuttal from the government, assuringcitizens that no third-party intervention is acceptable, and questionedwhether such assertions stemmed from understandings reached during Modi’sengagements with Chinese leadership.
Analysts have questioned the credibility of China’s mediation claim,pointing to Beijing’s close military ties with Pakistan and its initialregret over India’s strikes during the conflict. South Asia experts havetreated the assertion with skepticism, viewing it as an effort by China toproject global influence amid rising geopolitical turbulence.
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India’s Ministry of External Affairs has not issued a formal response toWang Yi’s remarks yet, but sources familiar with the matter have reiteratedthat no external power was involved, dismissing the claim as baseless, akinto Trump’s earlier statements. The episode underscores New Delhi’slongstanding policy against third-party mediation in bilateral issues withPakistan, rooted in historical precedents.
As international powers continue to claim roles in regional stability, theModi government faces mounting domestic pressure to reaffirm India’sindependent handling of security matters while navigating complex relationswith major global players.
Source:https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/china-claims-credit-mediating-india-pakistan-conflict-donald-trump-glbs-2844305-2025-12-31
Tags: India, Pakistan, China, Operation Sindoor, Narendra Modi, Wang Yi
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