China is ready to help ease India-Pakistan tensions but has a fine line to walk

Still, they expect Beijing to help avoid a full-blown confrontation on its doorstep and to safeguard its overseas interests in the region. The tit-for-tat reprisals that followed once again moved the nuclear-armed rivals closer to war as they exchanged gunfire along the de facto border, traded diplomatic barbs, revoked visas for each other’s nationals, and downgraded diplomatic and trade ties. Meanwhile, China has been Pakistan’s “ironclad” friend for decades, and an “all-weather” partner since 2015, raising questions about whether Beijing would try to walk a fine line between the two countries or step in as a mediator during the current crisis.

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