China welcomes release of captured Indian Air Force pilot as ‘peace gesture’

BEIJING, March 1 (APP)::China Friday welcomed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision to release captured Indian pilot as a peace gesture and said the de-escalation served the common interests of the two countries.
“I have taken the note of the development, you mentioned.

China welcomes the goodwill signals released by Pakistan side,” Chinese foreign ministry’s spokesperson Lu Kang said during his regular briefing held here.

Wing Commander Abhinandan of Indian Air Force was captured alive as his aircraft was shot down by Pakistan Air Force in reaction to the violation of Line of Control on Wednesday.

He said that from the start, China had been calling upon the two countries to exercise the restraint and take measures to ease tensions, engage in dialogue to resolve the differences.
“We encourage the two sides to engage in more dialogue for the peace and stability in the region,” he added.
Responding to another question regarding the offer of investigations into the Pulwama incident if India provided any credible evidence, he said, “As I answered the question raised by a journalist, we have taken note of the relevant reports and we welcome the goodwill signals released by Pakistani side.”
Lu Kang said, ”We encourage the two countries to take more measures to create a more favourable atmosphere for joint efforts to deal with the relevant issue.”
He hoped that India and Pakistan would jointly uphold regional peace and stability.