China Claims Mediation Role in India-Pakistan May Conflict; New Delhi Rejects Assertion

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday claimed that Beijing played a mediating role in easing tensions between India and Pakistan during their brief but intense military confrontation in May, placing it alongside other global hotspots where China says it facilitated peace.

Speaking at the annual Symposium on the International Situation and China’s Foreign Relations in Beijing, Wang highlighted China’s diplomatic efforts amid rising global conflicts. “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,” he said.

Indian officials swiftly dismissed Wang’s claim as unfounded. Sources in New Delhi described it as “bizarre,” emphasizing that the ceasefire was achieved solely through direct hotline communication between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries. The DGMO call began at 15:35 hours on May 10, with both sides agreeing to halt hostilities across land, air, and sea.

“There is no role for any third party in India-Pakistan matters,” a government source said, reiterating India’s longstanding position that bilateral issues allow no external mediation. Similar claims by US President Donald Trump earlier this year were also rejected by New Delhi.

Tensions between India and China have eased somewhat in recent months, with Wang noting “good momentum” in bilateral ties.