After Trump, China Claims Role in India-Pakistan Conflict De-escalation

Key Points:

• Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi asserts that China mediated the May 2025 “Operation Sindoor” India-Pakistan conflict.
• New Delhi has dismissed the claim as “bizarre,” maintaining that the ceasefire was achieved solely through direct bilateral military communication.
• The announcement follows similar repeated assertions by U.S. President Donald Trump, highlighting a growing trend of global powers seeking credit for South Asian stability.

China has claimed it played a significant role in resolving the recent India-Pakistan conflict mediation.

Speaking at the “Symposium on the International Situation and China’s Foreign Relations” in Beijing on December 30, 2025, Foreign Minister Wang Yi listed the South Asian standoff among several global “hotspots” where Beijing intervened to build lasting peace.

The conflict, which erupted in May 2025 following a terror attack in Pahalgam, saw the two nuclear-armed neighbors engage in four days of intense military exchanges.

Wang Yi emphasized that China adopted an “objective and just stance” to address both the symptoms and root causes of the flare-up.

“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 stated.

The Operation Sindoor Standoff

The hostilities, codenamed “Operation Sindoor” by India, began on May 7, 2025, after India launched precision strikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan-administered territories.

The escalation featured the first-ever instance of sustained drone warfare between the two nations and targeted strikes on sensitive military installations.

While Beijing now frames itself as a peacemaker, its role during the actual fighting was viewed through a different lens by New Delhi.

The Times of India reported that the Indian military leadership previously accused China of providing real-time surveillance inputs and military hardware to Islamabad.

Lt. General Rahul R. Singh, India’s Deputy Chief of Army Staff, went as far as to describe the conflict as a “live lab” where Beijing tested the efficacy of its weapon systems against Indian defenses.

New Delhi’s Rejection of External Roles

India has wasted no time in countering Beijing’s narrative. Official sources quoted by Hindustan Times described the Chinese claim as “bizarre,” reiterating that the ceasefire was a purely bilateral achievement.

New Delhi maintains that the four-day confrontation ended after the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both armies held a direct phone call on May 10, 2025, at 15:35 hours to work out the wording of the truce.

The Ministry of External Affairs has consistently held that there is no space for third-party India-Pakistan conflict mediation.

This long-standing policy remains a cornerstone of India’s foreign relations, aimed at preventing external actors from leveraging regional tensions for their own geopolitical gain.

Following the “Trump Pattern”

Wang Yi’s statement is being compared to the frequent claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has asserted on over 60 occasions that his administration personally intervened to prevent a “nuclear war” between the two nations in May.

Analysts suggest that Beijing may be following a similar playbook to enhance its image as a global diplomatic heavyweight.

China is attempting to project itself as a responsible superpower capable of stabilizing the most volatile regions on earth by asserting a role in India-Pakistan conflict mediation.

However, given that China supplies over 80% of Pakistan’s military hardware, its claim to being an “objective and just” mediator continues to face deep skepticism from the Indian government and international observers.

The Geopolitical Stakes of Peacekeeping

The battle over the “mediation narrative” highlights a shift in the global order. As the U.S. and China compete for influence across Asia, the ability to claim success in conflict resolution has become a vital soft-power tool. 

For India, the challenge lies in maintaining its sovereign bilateral approach while global powers increasingly attempt to insert themselves into the narrative of South Asian security.