Air strike on Balakot: China hopes India, Pakistan will show restraint

In its first reaction to India confirming a non-military preemptive strike on a major Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Balakot, Pakistan, China on Tuesday said that it hoped the two countries will maintain “restraint” and “do more to improve bilateral relations”.

In its first reaction to India confirming a non-military preemptive strike on a major Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Balakot, Pakistan, China on Tuesday said that it hoped the two countries will maintain “restraint” and “do more to improve bilateral relations”.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said: “India and Pakistan are both important countries in South Asia. Sound relations and cooperation serve the interest of both countries for peace and stability in South Asia.” He added: “We hope the two countries can keep restraint and do more to improve bilateral relations.”

In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs briefing held here in Beijing, Lu, responding to a question that it was a “non-military” strike, said: “Fighting terrorism is a global practice and needs necessary cooperation.”

He also referred to the conversation between Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi held on Monday and said the Chinese Foreign Minister had “reaffirmed his opinion” that the two sides – India and Pakistan- “need to advance cooperation on counter-terrorism for peace and stability in the region”.

India early Tuesday morning carried out a “non-military, preemptive action” against a major terror camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot. The strike was conducted after the government received credible information about “another suicide terror attack” by JeM in various parts of the country.

Pakistan, on the other hand, called India’s attack an “act of aggression” and said that it had the “right to respond and self-defence.”

Newsletter

These images show the Sun’s surface in greater detail than ever before

On Wednesday, astronomers released what they said were the most detailed images ever taken of the surface of our sun. As...

Magnitude 7.7 quake hits between Cuba and Jamaica, but no injuries

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and eastern Cuba on Tuesday, shaking a v...

US House passes bill on sanctions against Chinese officials for meddling in Dalai Lama’s succession

The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that authorises financial and travel sanctions against Chinese officia...

Squid Brains Are Nearly as Complex as Dog Brains, Researchers Claim

We all know that cephalopods are wicked smart, and their complex nerve systems go some way to explain their aptitudes. N...

Four Japanese evacuees from Wuhan taken to hospital with fevers

Japanese officials say four evacuees on a flight from the Chinese city of Wuhan have a cough and fever. Tokyo Metropolit...

US military recovers remains from Afghanistan plane crash

The United States on Tuesday recovered the remains of two personnel from a US military aircraft that crashed in Afghanis...