Chinese Foreign Minister Wang speaks to NSA Doval, calls for lasting ceasefire with Pakistan

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke to India's National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and expressed hope that New Delhi and Islamabad would address their differences through dialogue and achieve a lasting ceasefire.

During their conversation, Doval told Wang that war was not India's choice but India needed to take counter-terrorism action after the Pahalgam attack, state-run Xinhua news agency reported in separate dispatches.

Wang also condemned the April 22 terror attack in, which had cross-border linkages and triggered the worst fighting between India and Pakistan in years.

Wang also spoke to Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Xinhua's reports said.

Hostilities soared between India and Pakistan after the Indian military hit terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam attack.

The two nuclear-armed neighbours on May 10 reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea with immediate effect after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.

In his talks with Doval, Wang expressed hope that India and Pakistan would remain calm and restrained, properly handle differences through dialogue and consultation, and avoid escalating the situation, according to Xinhua's reports.

Wang said China supports and expects India and Pakistan to achieve a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire through consultation, which is in the fundamental interest of the two countries and meets the common aspiration of the international community.

He said China condemns the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and opposes all forms of terrorism.

Noting that the world is undergoing both transformation and upheaval, Wang said peace and stability in Asia are hard-won and deserve to be cherished. India and Pakistan are neighbours that cannot be moved away and they are both neighbours of China, he said.