Beijing is now aligning with U.S. President Donald Trump's narrative by claiming it helped mediate the India-Pakistan ceasefire earlier this year, as part of tackling global "hotspots" like border tensions and nuclear talks. This comes amid India's firm denial that the truce resulted from direct military hotlines, with no third-party involvement needed.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi raised the point at a recent global affairs symposium, spotlighting Beijing's role in easing the May conflict that erupted after a terror attack in Pahalgam prompted India's Operation Sindoor strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and PoK. He stressed China's objective approach to root causes for "lasting peace," leveraging its longstanding military and economic bonds with Islamabad—ironic given New Delhi's view of the clash as a testing ground for Pakistan-supplied gear.

President Trump had paved the way months earlier, touting U.S.-brokered "long night of talks" on Truth Social and to troops, only for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to correct him directly: no external mediation occurred, per India's longstanding no-third-party policy on bilateral issues. These dueling stories evoke past superpower maneuvers, such as Washington's quiet nudge during the 1999 Kargil war or China's shielding of Pakistan from UN sanctions.

New Delhi sources detailed how Pakistan's DGMO dialed India's post-Operation Sindoor, securing a mutual halt to land, air, and sea operations by May 10 purely through established channels—dismissing other tales as "outlandish." In Delhi, reactions ranged from amusement to outright rejection of Beijing's "bizarre" pitch, underscoring India's push for strategic independence amid Quad ties with the U.S. and border frictions with China.

With the ceasefire holding so far between these nuclear-armed neighbors, the episode reveals South Asia's fragility, where DGMO hotlines shine but terror threats linger. As 2025 wraps up, upcoming SCO summits or U.S.-India dialogues could expose trilateral strains, prioritizing counter-terror pacts over diplomatic bragging rights.