On the 7th (local time), amid missile exchanges between India and Pakistan, China urged both countries to remain calm and exercise restraint.
On that day, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated through a question-and-answer format statement, "China expresses regret over India's military actions carried out early this morning and is concerned about the current developments of the situation."
He emphasized, "Both India and Pakistan are neighboring countries and also neighbors of China," adding, "We appeal for both sides to maintain calm and restraint while placing great importance on peace and stability."
According to Reuters, the Indian government announced that its military launched Operation 'Sindhur' at dawn on that day, attacking nine locations including terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. India added that Pakistani military facilities were not targeted.
A spokesperson for the Pakistani military reported that the Pakistani military shot down five Indian fighter jets, but its own fighter jets were not shot down, and exchanges of fire are occurring across the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border between the two countries.
India and Pakistan have clashed over territorial claims in the Kashmir region since they gained independence from Britain in 1947. This is the first military conflict between these "de facto nuclear powers" in six years, since 2019.