China Says ‘Concerned’ by India Strikes on Pakistan

AFP/APP

Beijing: China on Wednesday expressed regret and concern over Indian strikes on Pakistan, urging both sides to show restraint in response to a major escalation between its nuclear-armed neighbours.

India and Pakistan exchanged heavy artillery along their contested frontier on Wednesday, after New Delhi launched missile strikes on its arch-rival.

China, which shares land borders with both countries and is a close ally of Pakistan, said it expressed “regret over India’s military action this morning” and stated it was “concerned about the current developments.”

“India and Pakistan are neighbours that cannot be moved apart, and they are also China’s neighbours,” a foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement.