India on Friday categorically rejected China’s claim that it played a role in mediating between New Delhi and Islamabad during the military confrontation earlier this year, reiterating that no third party was involved in the ceasefire decision.
New Delhi has consistently maintained that the May 10 ceasefire, which followed Operation Sindoor, was reached through direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan.
Responding to remarks made by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, official sources reiterated India’s long-standing position on bilateral issues with Pakistan.
“We have already refuted such claims. On bilateral issues between India and Pakistan, there is no role for a third party. Our position has been clarified on several occasions in the past that the India-Pakistan ceasefire was agreed to directly between the DGMOs of the two countries,” a source told India Today.
The statement underscored India’s firm stance that bilateral military and security matters are handled directly, without mediation by external powers.
Wang Yi Claims China Mediated Multiple Conflicts
The clarification from India came after Wang Yi claimed that Beijing had mediated several global conflicts, including the India-Pakistan standoff in May.
Speaking at an event on Tuesday, Wang said global conflicts had intensified this year and claimed China had adopted an “objective and neutral” approach in addressing them.
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“Following this Chinese approach to settling hotspot issues, we mediated in northern Myanmar, the Iranian nuclear issue, the tensions between Pakistan and India, the issues between Palestine and Israel, and the recent conflict between Cambodia and Thailand,” Wang Yi said.
India Pushes Back Amid ‘Credit War’ Over Ceasefire
China’s claim places it alongside US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly asserted that Washington helped stop the India-Pakistan conflict. India has consistently denied both assertions.
New Delhi’s rejection also comes amid growing scrutiny of China’s role during the hostilities, particularly its close military ties with Pakistan.
China’s Support to Pakistan Under Spotlight
China’s credibility has been questioned after senior Indian Army officer Rahul R Singh said Beijing used the confrontation as a “live lab” by providing support and real-time inputs to Pakistan.
“Pakistan was at the front. China was providing all possible support… In the last five years, 81% of the military hardware that Pakistan is getting is all Chinese. China is able to test its weapons against other weapons, so it’s like a live lab available to them,” Singh said at an event in Delhi.
India had launched Operation Sindoor after a terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which killed 26 civilians. During the operation, Indian forces destroyed nine terror camps inside Pakistan, triggering a brief but intense military confrontation before the ceasefire was reached.
