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China appeals to India, Pakistan to exercise restraint

Anil K Joseph in Beijing

Amid reports of troop build-up on the Indo-Pak border, China on Monday appealed to India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and resume dialogue to help maintain peace and security in South Asia.

"We have paid attention to concerned reports. We appeal to the concerned sides to exercise restraint and maintain calm, from the point of view of protecting the overall peace and stability in South Asia," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said.

"We also urge the concerned sides to hold peaceful talks and dialogue for solving the disputes," she said.

Asked to comment on India's recent decision to recall its high commissioner to Pakistan as a sign of protest against Pakistan for not taking comprehensive action against Pakistan-based terrorist groups involved in the attack on the Parliament, Zhang said China has also taken note of this development.

"We have paid attention to concerned reports," she said.

China is consistently concerned with the development of the situation and hopes that both India and Pakistan can exercise restraint and protect the overall peace and stability in South Asia, Zhang said separately.

China's appeal to both India and Pakistan comes close on the heels of the first state visit to China by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, which was described as positive and successful by the Chinese foreign ministry on Thursday.

During his talks with Chinese President Jiang Zemin on December 20, Musharraf had urged his Chinese counterpart to use his influence to resolve the Kashmir issue.

Following this, China offered to mediate between New Delhi and Islamabad to ease tension in the region heightened by the attack on Indian parliament but said the initiative for improving their ties should come from the two countries themselves.

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