China asks India, Pakistan to 'exercise restraint' after IAF strikes Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Balakot

Beijing: China on Tuesday urged India and Pakistan to “exercise restraint” and asked New Delhi to carry out its fight against terrorism through international cooperation, hours after Indian fighter jets struck Jaish-e-Mohammed’s biggest camp in Pakistan in a pre-dawn attack. When asked for China’s response to India’s air strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told the media that “we have taken note of the relevant reports.” [caption id=“attachment_5611341” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] “I want to say that India and Pakistan are both important countries in South Asia. A sound relationship and cooperation between the two serves the interests of both the countries and peace and stability in South Asia,” he said. “We hope that both India and Pakistan can exercise restraint and do more to improve their bilateral relations,” he said. India bombed and destroyed Jaish-e-Mohammed’s biggest training camp in Pakistan early Tuesday, killing a “very large number” of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders, officials said in New Delhi. On India’s assertion that it was a “non-military pre-emptive strikes” directed against training camps of the terrorist groups who are carrying out violent acts in India, Lu said, “as for India’s claim on taking action against terrorism, well fighting terrorism is a global practice. “It needs necessary international cooperation. India needs to create favourable condition internationally for the same,” he said. To another question, he said Pakistan Foreign Minister Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has spoken to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. “During the phone call, Wang listened carefully to Pakistan foreign minister’s notification and proposals on the issues and reaffirmed his opinion that the two sides need to advance their cooperation in the counter terrorism for peace and stability in the region,” the spokesman said. Lu’s comments came ahead of Russia, India and China (RIC) Foreign Ministers’ meeting at Chinese city of Wuzhen on Wednesday in which External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is due to take part. The Pulwama terror attack and India’s air strikes on the terrorists training camps were expected to figure in the her talks with Wang and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Levrov. The issue of listing of JeM chief Masood Azhar in the UN 1267 committee was also expected to figure in their talks.