Amid increasing brinksmanship from India following the Pahalgam killings, the United States has called for a "responsible solution" to the diplomatic spat between Delhi and Islamabad as China urged both sides to "exercise restraint."
A US State Department spokesperson told Reuters in an emailed statement on Monday that Washington was in touch with both India and Pakistan while urging them to work towards a "responsible solution", adding that they were closely monitoring the evolving situation.
"This is an evolving situation and we are monitoring developments closely. We have been in touch with the governments of India and Pakistan at multiple levels," the spokesperson told Reuters.
"The United States encourages all parties to work together towards a responsible resolution," the spokesperson said. He reiterated comments by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, saying that the US "stands with India and strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Pahalgam".
US policy experts believed that the US currently has no appetite for a direct intervention into the matter, fearing that the perception about the US backing Delhi might escalate the Pakistan-India tensions further.
While the Trump administration was giving this issue the sensitivity it deserved, Ned Price, who was the State Department spokesperson under former President Joe Biden's administration, said, "The perception that it would back India at any cost may escalate tensions further".
"The Trump administration has made clear it wishes to deepen the US-India partnership – a laudable goal – but that it is willing to do so at almost any cost. If India feels that the Trump administration will back it to the hilt no matter what, we could be in store for more escalation and more violence between these nuclear-armed neighbours," Price warned.
Separately, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told his regular press briefing in Beijing that as a neighbour of both the countries, China hoped Pakistan and India would exercise restraint, handle differences through dialogue and jointly uphold peace and stability in the region.
Guo said that China welcomed all measures that helped cool down the current situation and supported fair and just investigations into the Pahalgam attack at an early date. He stressed that a peaceful coexistence between the two countries was important for the peace in the region.
"I want to reiterate India and Pakistan are both important countries in South Asia. Peaceful coexistence between the two countries is important to peace and development of the region," Spokesperson Guo said, while responding to a question.
Earlier, Iran offered to mediate in a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi threw his country's weight behind Pakistan in his call to Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. China also supported Shehbaz's call for a transparent probe into the Pahalgam incident.
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