India and Pakistan should quickly turn the page after the Pulwama attack, meet each other halfway and transform the present crisis into an opportunity for a long term and fundamental improvement in their bilateral relations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.
He also said that after the historic Wuhan Summit betweenPresident Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April last year, Chinawants to develop closer ties with India and forge ahead like the “Yangtzeand Ganges” rivers despite Beijing’s all weather ties with Pakistan.
Tensionsbetween India and Pakistan escalated after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-basedJaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwamadistrict in February 14.
India launched a counter operation in Balakot on February26. The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in anaerial combat and captured its pilot, who was handed over to India on March 1.
“China hopes Pakistan and India will transform the crisis into opportunity and meet each other halfway,” Wang said at his annual press conference on the sidelines of the National People’s Congress, China’s Parliament.
K J M Varma