Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 13: The chronology of events on the day the ceasefire between India and Pakistan was announced in a dramatic fashion indicate that China is furious over Islamabad for calling out the United States for immediate intervention to broker peace instead of its “all-weather friend” Beijing which also wants to be seen as a global peace broker.
As the dust settles over “Operation Sindoor,” the focus has shifted to the spate of events on that day leading to the surprise call for ceasefire at a time when India was dominating the situation and Pakistan virtually brought to its knees.
Four nations released statements that day – United States, Pakistan, India, and a late entry by China. What has raised eyebrows however, is that each has their own version. While the undeniable fact lies in India’s statement that a phone call was indeed made by the Pakistani Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) to his Indian counterpart requesting an immediate ceasefire, the US and China have their own motives – with Pakistan ever-ready to project a narrative that comes as a face-saver for the government and its army.
Donald Trump, who has been projecting himself as a global peace messiah, by getting involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict as well as the Israel-Iran war over Hamas in Gaza, was the first to jump at making the dramatic announcement that it was his administration that “brokered” the ceasefire – a claim that New Delhi has distanced itself from. President Trump’s eagerness to make the announcement came as a bolt from the blue.
As the hotlines in Washington, Islamabad, and New Delhi were busy on May 9, the one in Beijing remained silent and this reportedly did not go down well with China, which Pakistan calls its “all-weather ally.” Donald Trump’s announcement and Washington’s credit-taking left Beijing furious.
According to claims made in defence circles, China was allegedly upset with Islamabad for reaching out to Washington at a time of crisis and distress, instead of calling Beijing, which likes to consider south Asia as being in its sphere of influence.
Beijing then called Islamabad, following which, as per the chronology of events, Pakistan disregarded the Trump announced-ceasefire hours after agreeing to it, though only briefly. While Pakistani drones violated Indian airspace over Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Gujarat, a statement about Islamabad’s talks with China was released by Pakistan’s foreign office. The timing of the statement, in which Beijing’s overt support to Islamabad was underscored raised eyebrows in the diplomatic circles.
Just a short while later, while the drones from Pakistan and PoK continued to pour in, China’s foreign ministry released another statement saying its foreign minister Wang Yi spoke with India’s national security adviser Ajit Doval. The statement focused more of what the Chinese foreign minister said, with a fleeting mention of what Mr Doval reportedly said. New Delhi has not responded to this statement released by Beijing.
It was only after the release of these statements, showcasing China’s involvement, did the drones from Pakistan stop incursions over the Line of Control and the International Border. This was seen by some defence analysts as a symbolic gesture to satisfy Beijing.
China’s foreign ministry released another statement two days later, in which it said, “We hope India and Pakistan will cement and continue the ceasefire momentum, avoid further conflict, properly handle differences through dialogue and negotiation, and return to the track of political settlement.” It added that China will remain in contact with both Islamabad and New Delhi, and continue efforts to “keep the region peaceful and stable.”
Beijing credited itself for the ceasefire, claiming that it was Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s talks with Ishaq Dar and Ajit Doval that ultimately helped “bring about de-escalation and a full, lasting ceasefire.” Pakistan, which was left in shock and disbelief over the intensity, scale, accuracy, and capability of India’s precision and calibrated strikes on Pakistani airbases, released two sets of statements on the evening of the ceasefire – one after Trump’s social media post, and the other allegedly at Beijing’s behest.
Minutes after President Trump’s post on Truth Social, Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar wrote on X that “Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect. Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity!”
Then it broke the ceasefire for several hours, disregarding its own commitment, while simultaneously releasing a statement about a phone call from Beijing. According to the statement, Mr Dar briefed the Chinese foreign minister about the regional situation and the recent military exchange between India and Pakistan in the wake of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
As per the statement, the Chinese foreign minister “acknowledged Pakistan’s restraint and appreciated its responsible approach under challenging circumstances,” adding that Wang Yi “reaffirmed that China, as Pakistan’s All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partner and iron-clad friend, will continue to stand firmly by Pakistan in upholding its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national independence.”
Less than an hour after this, the Pakistani drone incursions stopped, leading to the ceasefire. While all this was happening, India’s foreign secretary, noting the fresh airspace violation, addressed a press briefing in which a stern warning was given to Islamabad that Pakistan’s actions will be responded to by India “resolutely” and “effectively.”
India has kept all the facts on the table. It has acknowledged that multiple phone calls did indeed take place between top leaders of India and the US. New Delhi asserted that Washington was told clearly that India has only been responding to Pakistan’s military escalations, with Pahalgam being the first escalation leading to Operation Sindoor. Washington was told that if Islamabad stops, so will New Delhi. Leaders in the Trump administration were also told that any request for a ceasefire is strictly a bilateral issue, and that Islamabad must reach out to New Delhi directly.
Adhering to the bilateral setup, Pakistan’s DGMO then reached out to his Indian counterpart with a request for ceasefire, India’s DGMO cautioned Pakistan against any further misadventure, while also laying down the conditions for the ceasefire, which included zero-tolerance for terror. Islamabad was informed that all other punishing diplomatic actions taken against Pakistan would remain.
Foreign Secretary Vikaram Misri then made a short and to-the-point announcement on India agreeing to Pakistan’s bilateral request for a ceasefire. Two days later President Trump made another big claim about how he used trade as a tool to convince Pakistan and India to agree to a ceasefire. He said, “I said, come on, we’re going to do a lot of trade with you guys, both countries, so let’s stop it. Stop it if you want trade. If you don’t stop, we’re not going to do any trade.” He went on to claim that “People have never used trade the way I have used it – and then all of a sudden they said ‘we’re going to stop’. They might have done it for a lot of reasons, but trade was a big one.”
Rejecting the claim, India’s foreign ministry said, “After Operation Sindoor commenced, US Vice President JD Vance spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 9. Secretary Rubio spoke to the foreign minister S Jaishankar on May 8 and May 10 and to National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on May 10. There was no reference to trade in any of these discussions.”
