China's foreign ministry on Monday made a statement asking India and Pakistan to exercise restraint. "China hopes that the two sides will exercise restraint, meet each other halfway, properly handle relevant differences through dialogue and consultation and jointly maintain regional peace and stability," the German television DW quoted the foreign ministry spokesman as saying.
On Sunday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke to Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, expressing his support for an independent investigation into the Pahalgam massacre.
"China advocates for a swift and fair investigation and believes that conflict does not serve the fundamental interests of either India or Pakistan, nor does it benefit regional peace and stability," Wang told Dar, reported China's Xinhua news agency. He added that he hoped both sides would show restraint and work to de-escalate the situation.
The US State Department on Sunday said it was in touch with India and Pakistan, and wanted them to work towards a "responsible solution." "This is an evolving situation and we are monitoring developments closely. We have been in touch with the governments of India and Pakistan at multiple levels. The United States encourages all parties to work together towards a responsible resolution," a US State Department spokesperson told Reuters news agency.
The US has expressed its support to India after the attack, for which New Delhi blames Pakistan. Islamabad has denied any responsibility and called for a neutral investigation.
India and Pakistan are both important strategic partners for the US amid China's rising influence.
The "denial of Kashmiri self-determination" lies at the core of the conflict between India and Pakistan, Natasha Raheja, a political anthropologist at Cornell University, told the German television DW.
"At the core of this dispute is an ongoing struggle and denial of Kashmiri self-determination. This is a region that has been besieged by a history of colonial borders that were drawn in haste as well as hasty princely state accessions," she said, adding that there was an escalation of a "nationalist rhetoric" this time.
According to Raheja, both countries "have a history of leveraging their minoritized populations against each other."
"Kashmiri people are suffering and their voices are being overshadowed by the military showmanship at the border."
