China on Monday nudged India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and welcomed all measures that could help cool down the current situation.

The remark from the Chinese foreign ministry came a day after foreign minister Wang Yi told his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar that “as Pakistan’s iron-clad friend and all-weather strategic cooperative partner, China fully understands Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns and supports Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty and security interests”.

Wang called up Dar at the latter’s request to discuss the situation with India following the Pahalgam attack. The Chinese readout on the conversation said: “China supports an impartial investigation as soon as possible, as the conflict does not serve the fundamental interests of either India or Pakistan, nor does it contribute to regional peace and stability. Wang Yi expressed the hope that Pakistan and India will exercise restraint and work in the same direction to deescalate the situation.”

Asked if China would participate in the Pakistan-mooted international investigation into the Pahalgam terror attack, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun on Monday said: “China welcomes all measures that will help cool down the current situation and supports carrying out fair and just investigations at an early date. As the neighbour of both India and Pakistan, China hopes that India and Pakistan will exercise restraint, work in the same direction, handle relevant differences properly through dialogue and consultation, and jointly uphold peace and stability in the region.”

Further pressed on the issue, particularly on whether a fair investigation is possible in the face of state-sponsored terrorism, the spokesman said harmonious co-existence of India and Pakistan is vital to the peace, stability and development of the region, iterating that both should exercise restraint and solve differences through dialogue.

China is deeply invested in Pakistan and a conflict would endanger its projects, particularly the 3000-km-long China-Pakistan Economic Corridor that connects Gwadar port to the Xinjiang region.