Beijing, February 28: In apparent disapproval to Pakistan's violation of Indian airspace, China has asked its all-weather ally in the subcontinent to not only exercise restraint, but also to "respect sovereignty and territorial integrity" of all neighbouring nations. The dissenting note was sounded by China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a late night phone call with Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

The telephonic conversation was "urgently" scheduled on the request of Islamabad -- which was locked in an aerial engagement with New Delhi earlier on Wednesday. Qureshi reportedly conveyed to Yi that the Pakistani government wants to de-escalate the tensions, and is ready for a dialogue on cross-border terrorism. Pakistan Says Will Consider Returning IAF Pilot If That Eases Tension With India.

Yi, while assuring Qureshi that Beijing will "continue to play a constructive role" in easing tensions and facilitating talks, asked the western neighbour to ensure the sovereignty of no regional nation is challenged.

Yi, who is also China's State Councillor, "stressed that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected," said the statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Beijing.

China's message to Pakistan came hours after Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Wuzhen, to attend a meeting with her Chinese and Russian counterparts. In the joint statement issued, the three sides called upon all regional nations to act against terror groups operating from their soil.

"The terrorist groups cannot be supported and used in political and geopolitical goals," the statement said, in the backdrop of India charging Pakistan of shielding Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which claimed responsibility of several cross-border terror attacks in India.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 28, 2019 04:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).