India has issued a strong rebuttal to China's claim of having mediated in the military conflict between India and Pakistan in 2025. Official sources in New Delhi expressed surprise and dismissed the assertion made by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, emphasizing that the cessation of hostilities was a result of direct communication between the two armies, not any external mediation.
China's Surprising Claim and India's Firm Rejection
On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that China had mediated in several "hotspot issues" in 2025, listing tensions between Pakistan and India among them. This claim mirrored similar, earlier boasts by former US President Donald Trump about brokering peace. Indian government sources were taken aback by the statement, given the significant time lag and India's assessment that Beijing was an undeclared participant supporting Pakistan during the 4-day conflict from May 7 to May 10.
Sources highlighted that China, in fact, provided crucial military assistance to Pakistan during that period. They termed Wang Yi's mediation claim as "baseless," equating it to President Trump's repeated assertions about brokering a ceasefire. Indian authorities stressed that China was not part of any conversation related to stopping the military action.
The Actual Sequence of Events: A Direct Military Hotline
India has consistently presented a clear narrative of how the conflict de-escalated. From Prime Minister Narendra Modi downwards, Indian leadership has repeatedly asserted that India agreed to pause military action after Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), Major General Kashif Abdullah, reached out directly to his Indian counterpart, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai.
The conflict itself was triggered by a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, where civilians, mostly tourists, were killed. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). India then responded to subsequent military action from Pakistan.
India's Unwavering Position on Bilateralism
This incident reinforces India's long-standing and consistent diplomatic position. New Delhi maintains that matters related to India and Pakistan are strictly bilateral and there is no room for any third-party intervention. The rejection of both US and Chinese claims of mediation underscores this core principle of India's foreign policy.
Wang Yi, in his statement, had also listed China's mediation in northern Myanmar, the Iranian nuclear issue, Palestine-Israel issues, and the Cambodia-Thailand conflict. However, India's firm response makes it clear that the subcontinent's issues are not on that list from New Delhi's perspective.
