China has, for the first time, confirmed that it provided on-site technical support to Pakistan during last year’s conflict with India, referred to in New Delhi as Operation Sindoor.
The admission follows tensions triggered by the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, prompting India to launch Operation Sindoor targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Indian strikes reportedly eliminated over 100 terrorists linked to groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen.
In an interview aired by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, engineers from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) described their direct involvement in supporting Pakistani military operations, marking Beijing’s first official acknowledgement of personnel presence during the conflict.
Zhang Heng, from AVIC’s Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, said his team worked under intense conditions. “At the support base, we frequently heard the roar of fighter jets… It was a real ordeal for us, both mentally and physically,” he was quoted as saying.
Pakistan’s Air Force operates Chinese-made J-10CE fighter jets, and Zhang said the team’s aim was to ensure the equipment performed at “full combat potential.” Another engineer, Xu Da, likened the aircraft to a “child,” expressing confidence in its performance during the conflict.
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The J-10CE, an export version of China’s advanced J-10C fighter, is among the most sophisticated aircraft in Pakistan’s arsenal. Islamabad had ordered 36 such jets along with PL-15 missiles in 2020.
Indian military officials have earlier flagged the deepening China-Pakistan defence nexus. Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh stated in 2025 that nearly 81 per cent of Pakistan’s military hardware is of Chinese origin, describing the country as a “live lab” for Beijing’s military technology.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, China has supplied arms worth $8.2 billion to Pakistan since 2015, with Islamabad emerging as its largest weapons client.
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