China says it backs Pakistan in defending 'sovereignty'

China said on Tuesday it supports Pakistan in defending "national sovereignty and territorial integrity", after a ceasefire ended four days of fighting with India over a deadly attack in Kashmir.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said China welcomed the two countries "handling differences through dialogue" as he met his Pakistani counterpart Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Beijing.

Dar's visit comes after India and Pakistan exchanged tit-for-tat drone, missile and artillery fire following the April attack in Indian-administered Kashmir which killed 26 people.

New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing the militants it claimed were behind the attack -- the deadliest on civilians in Muslim-majority Kashmir in decades. Pakistan denies the charge.

US President Donald Trump announced a surprise truce on May 10, which appears to be holding over more than a week later.

China is Pakistan's largest arms supplier and Dar confirmed that Islamabad used Chinese jets against India.

Wang meanwhile called Pakistan an "ironclad friend" and vowed to deepen the "all-weather strategic cooperative partnership" between the two countries, a readout from China's foreign ministry said.