China on Thursday, 31 May, welcomed India and Pakistan's decision to observe the 2003 ceasefire agreement to stop cross-border firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and expressed hope that the two countries will properly resolve their differences.
The Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan on 29 May, during a conversation over the hotline, agreed to fully implement the ceasefire pact of 2003 in “letter and spirit” forthwith to stop cross-border firing in Jammu and Kashmir.
"We commend the positive actions taken by both sides," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told media briefing here.
"We hope that both sides could properly resolve their disputes through dialogue and consultation and maintain regional peace and stability," she said.
“Both DGMOs reviewed the prevailing situation along the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary, and mutually agreed to undertake sincere measures to improve the existing situation ensuring peace and avoidance of hardships to the civilians along the borders," the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, said in a statement.
They agreed to fully implement the ceasefire understanding of 2003 in letter and spirit and to ensure that the ceasefire agreement will not be violated by both sides from now on, it said.
The officials also agreed that in case of any issue, restraint will be exercised and the matter will be resolved through utilisation of existing mechanisms of hotline contacts and border flag meetings at the local commander's level.
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