US, China call for restraint as India-Pakistan tensions escalate

Shafaq News/ As tensions flare between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan, both the United States and China are urging calm, calling on the two sides to restore direct communication and seek political solutions to prevent further escalation.

In a statement released by the US State Department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged both countries to "identify methods to de-escalate and re-establish direct communication to avoid miscalculation."

The remarks followed separate phone conversations between Rubio and the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan, as Washington seeks to reduce the risk of an unintended military confrontation.

Meanwhile, China, which shares borders with both nations, called on both nations to exercise restraint and return to diplomatic channels. “We strongly call on both India and Pakistan to give priority to peace and stability, remain calm and restrained, return to the track of political settlement through peaceful means, and avoid taking actions that further escalate tensions,” a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

The warnings come amid a sharp escalation in hostilities along the Line of Control (LoC), with reports of artillery exchanges and troop mobilizations raising fears of a broader conflict.