Pak-Iran tensions: China offers mediator’s role

China on Thursday said it is willing to mediate between Pakistan and Iran following an exchange of cross-border strikes.

China also urged the two sides to exercise calm and de-escalate the tensions.

Addressing a regular press conference in Beijing, China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the Chinese side sincerely hopes that the two sides can exercise calm and restraint and avoid an escalation of tension.

“We are also willing to play a constructive role in de-escalating the situation if both sides so wish,” she said.

The remarks were made just hours after Pakistan struck the hideouts of the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) in Iran’s Sistan-o-Baluchistan province.

Earlier today, the Chinese Consul General in Karachi Yang Yundong also iterated China’s willingness to play a constructive role in settling differences between both nations.

“China would like to ask Pakistan and Iran that we will like to play a constructive role to settle the differences between the two countries,” Yundong said exclusively talking to Geo News.

Answering a question on Iran’s blatant breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty by launching a missile attack in Balochistan, Yundong said Pakistan and Iran were the major countries in the region and Muslim world, so China hoped that the differences between them could be solved through talks and other peaceful ways.

Earlier on Wednesday, China urged Pakistan and Iran to show “restraint”, after Islamabad informed that Tehran had carried out an air strike on Pakistan’s territory that killed two children.

“We call on both sides to exercise restraint, avoid actions that would lead to an escalation of tension and work together to maintain peace and stability,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular briefing.

“We consider both Iran and Pakistan as close neighbours and major Islamic countries,” she said.