ISLAMABAD: China’s Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong met with Pakistan’s envoy in Beijing to discuss tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi and expressed support for a lasting ceasefire, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

The meeting followed a recent flare-up in hostilities between India and Pakistan, marked by cross-border missile, drone and artillery exchanges. The situation prompted international concern and calls for de-escalation.

According to a statement from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sun emphasized Beijing’s support for a sustainable ceasefire between the two South Asian neighbors during his meeting with Ambassador Khalil Hashmi.

“China welcomes and supports Pakistan and India achieving a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire,” Sun said. “China is ready to continue to play a constructive role in this regard.”

China, a longstanding ally of Pakistan, has maintained a strategic diplomatic and defense relations with Islamabad.

During the recent hostilities in the region, reports indicated that Pakistan deployed Chinese-made J-10C fighter jets and PL-15 missiles in its military operations.

This marked the first known combat use of the J-10Cs, reflecting the potency of Chinese military hardware and highlighting Beijing’s significant role as Islamabad’s primary defense partner.

While China has expressed support for Pakistan, it has also called for restraint and dialogue.

In a statement issued earlier, the Chinese foreign ministry urged both India and Pakistan to prioritize peace and stability, remain calm and restrained and resolve their differences through dialogue and consultation.

The recent ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, brokered with international mediation, has also been welcomed by China.

ISLAMABAD: United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday reiterated he had brokered a “historic ceasefire” between India and Pakistan using trade as leverage, while urging his administration to help build diplomatic ties strong enough for the nuclear-armed rivals to someday “go out and have a nice dinner together.”

The statement came days after a major standoff between the two South Asian neighbors, which saw both sides exchange missile and drone attacks as well as artillery fire across the Line of Control in Kashmir.

Trump, who announced the ceasefire on Saturday, said it followed a night of intense diplomatic activity. Subsequently, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed the two countries had agreed to hold talks at a neutral venue to discuss a broad range of outstanding issues.

Trump made the remarks about the ceasefire during his address to the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh, shortly after arriving in the Kingdom where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and senior Saudi officials. 

The visit also saw the signing of more than $300 billion in defense and economic deals.

“Just days ago, my administration successfully brokered a historic ceasefire to stop the escalating violence between India and Pakistan,” he said. “And I used trade to a large extent to do it and I said, ‘Fellas, come on, let’s make a deal. Let’s do some trading. Let’s not trade nuclear missiles. Let’s trade the things that you make so beautifully.’”

Trump praised the efforts of his top aides, including Vice President JD Vance and Rubio, and called the leadership in both India and Pakistan “strong and smart.”

“Maybe we can even get them together a little bit, Marco, where they go out and have a nice dinner together,” he added. “Wouldn’t that be nice?”

He warned that the recent crisis, which he said “started off small,” had the potential to spiral into a broader conflict with devastating consequences.

“Millions of people could have died,” he said.

India, however, negated shortly before Trump’s speech that trade was a factor in the US-mediated truce.

Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, confirmed that top leaders in New Delhi and Washington remained in close contact during the standoff, but denied that trade was discussed.

“The issue of trade didn’t come up in any of these discussions,” he said, referring to calls between Vance and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as between Rubio and External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

With input from AP