New Delhi, May 11, 2025 – Following growing India-Pakistan tensions in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval had a key telephonic conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday, marking a concerted attempt to stabilize strife-torn South Asia. The talk, as quoted by The Times of India, reiterated India’s strong stand on counter-terrorism, respect for a tenuous ceasefire, and the broader global necessity of peace, with China urging restraint and diplomacy to avoid any escalation.
Background of a legal crisis
The negotiations are amidst escalating tensions between India and Pakistan over a terrorist strike at Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in widespread casualties among Indian soldiers. The terrorist strike, attributed by India to Pakistan-based terror groups, prompted India to carry out ‘Operation Sindoor’ on 7 May—a targeted counterterror mission against nine terror camps based in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation was a firm push against cross-border terrorism, which India has repeatedly alleged Pakistan is nurturing.
In a contentious move, Pakistan broke a ceasefire it had announced earlier today by initiating a series of drone incursions into Indian territory. Indian air defense systems successfully intercepted and repelled the drones, but incursions were a precursor to the vulnerability of the bilateral agreement. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that Indian military forces are on high alert, with locals reporting ear-shattering explosions and sirens wailing throughout Jammu and Kashmir, haunting residents.
Doval’s Message: Not All Wars Are Won
During his talks with Wang Yi, NSA Ajit Doval stated India’s position forcefully and categorically. “War would not be the first choice for India and would be meaningless for all,” he told the Chinese foreign ministry. Doval emphasized the disastrous human cost of the Pahalgam attack and India’s need to conduct counter-terror operations to protect its sovereignty and security. But he reasserted India’s commitment to the ceasefire and its desire for peace and stability in the region restored at the earliest.
Doval’s words encapsulate India’s balancing act: hard on terror without fighting full-scale war that would destabilize the subcontinent further. He cited Pakistan’s ongoing aggressive acts, including recent drone incursions, as mammoth obstacles to de-escalation. India’s preference, nonetheless, is still action with a calibrated strategy, such as Operation Sindoor, that struck terror infrastructure with precision targeting with a view to minimizing collateral damage.
China’s Call for Restraint
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, for his part, condemned the Pahalgam attack and expressed Beijing’s firm concern at deteriorating security. Proposing China’s position as a neutral stakeholder with good relations with both India and Pakistan, Wang said that “peace for the region is hard-won and worth cherishing.” Wang urged the two nations to remain calm, exercise restraint, and settle disputes through dialogue and consultation.
Wang’s appeal for a “comprehensive and lasting ceasefire” is consistent with China’s overall geopolitical agenda for bringing about stabilization in its surroundings, and more specifically with South Asia, which is a region of significant economic and strategic interest for it. He reiterated that an extended confrontation would serve neither India nor Pakistan and would go against the natural interest of the international community. The move by China as a mediator, though tricky given its close, conventional relationship with Pakistan, is a sign of China’s reluctance to allow the crisis become a wider regional or international trend.
Diplomatic maneuvering and international attention
The Doval-Wang talks are part of a flurry of diplomacy that has been working towards defusing India-Pakistan tensions. Back-channel diplomacy, including phone calls by Pakistan and Washington, has been attributed by reports with promoting a ceasefire. The United States, for instance, has been reported to have been a contributor towards furnishing an “off-ramp” which could ease tensions, with US Vice President JD Vance himself having had a direct talk with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reported CNN.
The eyes of the world are on South Asia, and the prospects of escalation have far-reaching implications. The polarized opinion is reflected in a survey conducted by the Times of India, in which some demand a diplomatic resolution of the crisis and others demand retaliatory military action against the Pahalgam attack. The sharply divided opinion reflects the dilemma of balancing national security compulsions and seeking peace.
Operation Sindoor and Pakistani Response India’s Operation Sindoor has been at the center of the current crisis. Conducted with military precision, the operation targeted terror camps planning to strike Indian territory. The air raids, conducted within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, were meant to break up terrorist networks without killing civilians. Indian officials have termed the operation a proportionate and unavoidable response to the growing threat of cross-border terrorism.
Pakistan retaliated with drone incursions, which were repeatedly foiled by Indian soldiers. The actions, however, put the ceasefire accord in jeopardy, with Pakistan’s violation facing India’s strident criticism. The MEA reiterated that India is a peace-loving nation, but will never falter in taking defensive measures for the security of borders and citizens.
The Way Forward
The Doval-Wang discussions underscore the necessity of diplomacy in averting a full-fledged war. India’s strategic response—juggling counterterror raids with adherence to a ceasefire—demonstrates India’s willingness to counter immediate military threats while reserving room for back-channel diplomacy. China’s appeal for restraint and dialogue, even if based on strategic necessity, is a potential platform for mediation if India and Pakistan are able to find a point of convergence.
But there will also be peace challenges. Pakistan’s ongoing provocations, driven by their longstanding mistrust of each other, are one of them. The international community, including major world powers like the United States and China, will need to exert diplomatic pressure to ensure that the ceasefire is maintained and that the two sides enter into serious negotiations.
Conclusion
Since South Asia stands at the crossroads, the Doval-Wang summit is an indicator of the delicate balance between diplomacy and security. India’s insistence on combating terrorism, balanced by its aspiration for peace in South Asia, is a realistic response to a multi-dimensional crisis. China’s appeal for restraint, though based on its vested interests, is a feasible path to a peace process. The coming days will show if there is any room for outgoing diplomacy to be built upon for lasting peace or if South Asia will again be plunged into war.
The world holds its breath for the moment as India and Pakistan make it through this dangerous phase, hopefully with cooler heads and beneficial dialogue prevailing.
