Fri May 02 13:03:02 UTC 2025: ## China’s Implicit Support for Pakistan Amidst Kashmir Attack Raises Concerns

**NEW DELHI** – Following a deadly civilian attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir on April 22nd, 2025, China’s response has raised eyebrows in India. While publicly condemning terrorism, Beijing’s actions and media coverage subtly align with Pakistan’s narrative, fueling concerns about implicit support for Islamabad.

Analysis of Chinese state-media reports from Xinhua and CCTV reveals a downplaying of the attack’s terrorist nature, referring to it as the act of “unknown but positively local gunmen.” This framing, while differing slightly from Pakistan’s terminology by using “India-controlled Kashmir,” avoids assigning blame to Pakistan-based terrorist groups, including The Resistance Front (TRF), whose claim of responsibility was dismissed by Chinese media as a cyber intrusion. The Global Times even urged India to “avoid premature conclusions,” further fueling Indian anxieties.

China’s call for peaceful resolution and bilateral negotiations between India and Pakistan, emphasized by Foreign Minister Wang Yi and spokesperson Guo Jiankun, appears less altruistic upon closer examination. Chinese commentators suggest India lacks the capability to win a war with Pakistan and that escalation would harm India’s interests. Some analysts, such as Gu Huoping, even justify Pakistan’s stance, hinting that a conflict might serve as a test for China-supplied Pakistani military equipment.

This push for negotiation is intertwined with China’s offer to mediate. This offer, seemingly prompted by a Pakistani request for international intervention, appears strategically designed to support Pakistan’s internationalization of a bilateral issue, undermining India’s resistance to global mediation. This pattern mirrors China’s response to the 2019 Pulwama attack, where it similarly avoided assigning blame to Pakistan.

Furthermore, China’s opposition to India’s retaliatory measures against Pakistan – including airspace restrictions and threats to the Indus Water Treaty – suggests a prioritization of its own interests, specifically the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Analysts like Liu Zongyi highlight concerns that instability in the region could impact CPEC.

In conclusion, while publicly maintaining a neutral stance, China’s actions and media portrayals reveal a clear bias towards Pakistan. This implicit support, combined with the offer of mediation, raises concerns in India about China’s role in the ongoing Kashmir conflict and its potential impact on regional stability.

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