On the first anniversary of Ops Sindoor, China has, for the first time, publicly confirmed that it has provided Pakistan with technical assistance during the operations.
The confirmation came through an interview aired by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV with Zhang Heng, an engineer at the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the company involved in developing China’s advanced fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle design.
Zhang said he had provided on-site technical support to the Pakistani Air Force during the four-day conflict in May last year.
The report noted that Pakistan’s Chinese-made J-10CE fighter jets were used during the clashes, with one of the aircraft reportedly shooting down at least one Indian Rafale fighter jet.
The J-10CE is the export version of China’s J-10C 4.5-generation fighter jet and is regarded as the most advanced variant in the J-10 lineup. It is equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and can carry a range of advanced Chinese weapon systems, including beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles.
Pakistan remains the only foreign operator of the J-10C fighter jet outside China. The conflict provided rare battlefield exposure for Chinese weapons systems without Beijing directly entering combat.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, up to 80 per cent of Pakistan’s arms imports between 2021 and 2025 came from China.
China has previously denied public acknowledgment of giving technical support to Pakistan during Ops Sindoor despite the speculations of its support on providing satellite intelligence.
Pakistan is heavily dependent on China for defence cooperation with Beijing being Islamabad’s largest supplier of fighter jets, missile systems, drones and naval platforms. Last week Pakistan also confirmed it would receive advanced Chinese-built Hangor-class submarines as part of a broader naval modernisation programme.
Recent reports also indicate that China could be the first overseas recipient of China’s second largest land-based fifth generation fighter jet, J-35A, manufactured by AVIC.
