Beijing, Feb 19: China on Tuesday urged restraint by India and Pakistan amid escalating tensions over the Pulwama attack and called on both the countries to peacefully resolve their issues through dialogue as soon as possible.
On February 14, at least 49 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in Kashmir’s Pulwama district in a suicide attack claimed by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant group.
The attack has heightened bilateral tensions with both New Delhi and Islamabad calling back their envoys for “consultations”. India on Friday announced the withdrawal of the Most Favoured Nation status for Pakistan and hiked the customs duty by 200 percent on goods originating from the neigbouring country.
“Pakistan and India are both important countries in South Asia. A stable bilateral relationship between the two is essential to the peace and stability in the region,” Geng Shuang, spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry told a media briefing when asked about the tensions between the two countries following the Pulwama attack.
“South Asia has maintained an overall stability which should be cherished and upheld by all sides. China hopes that Pakistan and India will exercise restraint, engage in dialogue and realise the soft landing of the relevant issues as soon as possible,” he said.
