
China may play only a limited role in the escalating India-Pakistan stand-off as it tries to balance ties with both neighbours, Chinese experts told the South China Morning Post. Tensions soared after…
China may play only a limited role in the escalating India-Pakistan stand-off as it tries to balance ties with both neighbours, Chinese experts told the South China Morning Post. Tensions soared after a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 26 people last Tuesday, triggering tit-for-tat reprisals including cross-border gunfire, diplomatic barbs and visa cancellations.

Beijing has recently sought to reset relations with New Delhi after years of Himalayan border tensions, while remaining an 'all-weather partner' to Pakistan. Experts expect China to help avoid a full-blown confrontation on its doorstep and safeguard its overseas interests in the region, but say Beijing faces a fine line between the two rivals.
Both SCMP pieces frame China as constrained: one argues Beijing failed to leverage the Ukraine crisis to pull India closer, the other says China's role in the India-Pakistan crisis is 'limited'. Neither adopts a pro-Beijing or critical stance, they report expert views neutrally. The coverage suggests China's diplomatic room is narrow on both fronts. The key test will be whether Beijing's balancing act shifts India's strategic posture or merely maintains the status quo.
The upcoming virtual Biden-Modi talks and any Chinese mediation offer in Kashmir will signal whether Beijing can translate its 'fine line' into influence.
India's next move on Russian oil purchases and its response to any Chinese role in Kashmir will be concrete indicators to watch.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): scmp.com (neutral report), scmp.com (2) (neutral report)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.