Mutual trust, respect, and sensitivity remain basis of India-China relations: MEA

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Jaiswal said this when asked about the call between National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval with his Chinese Foreign Minister (FM) Wang Yi on May 10.

"Our NSA and the Chinese FM and Special Representative on Boundary Issue Wang Yi had spoken to each other on 10th May 2025, when NSA conveyed India's resolute stance against cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. The Chinese side is aware that mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity remain the basis of India-China relations," Jaiswal said.

Addressing media queries about recent trilateral talks in China between the foreign ministers of China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, the MEA spokesperson said, "We have seen some reports. I have nothing further to say beyond that."

On EAM Dr S Jaishankar's conversation with the acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, he says, "We had put out a release. External Affairs Minister thanked acting Foreign Minister for his very strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack; they also agreed to advance bilateral cooperation in several areas. External Affairs Minister also welcomed his firm rejection of recent attempts to create distrust between India and Afghanistan through false and baseless reports."

Recently, the Pakistani federal cabinet also approved the promotion of its Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, to Field Marshal, citing his "leadership" during its confrontation with India.

Despite Pakistan projecting the outcome as a "historic victory" and praising Munir's leadership, the promotion follows recent military setbacks, particularly after India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack. The operation resulted in significant losses for terrorist infrastructure and critical Pakistani military sites, exposing vulnerabilities in Pakistan's airspace and territory.

General Asim Munir becomes only the second officer in Pakistan's history to be elevated to Field Marshal, following Ayub Khan, who awarded himself the rank in 1959 after taking over as president. The field marshal rank is symbolic, permanent, and held until death, signifying a dominant position for the army chief in Pakistan's power structure.

Munir's promotion, just weeks after significant losses, is seen as consolidating the military's authority over the country's civilian leadership, as even General Pervez Musharraf, who held power for years, never assumed this title. (ANI)