India reacts to China helping Pakistan during Operation Sindoor
What's the story
India has reacted strongly to reports of China providing on-site technical support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. The operation was launched by India in May 2025 as a response to terrorist attacks in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people. "We have seen reports that corroborate what was known earlier...It is for nations that consider themselves responsible to reflect on whether supporting or protecting terrorist infrastructure affects their reputation and standing," said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs.
Operation details
Operation Sindoor was a calibrated multi-domain surgical strike
Jaiswal said Operation Sindoor was a precise, targeted, and calibrated response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, aimed at destroying state-sponsored terrorist infrastructure operating out of Pakistan and at its behest. India has repeatedly maintained that the operation targeted terror camps and infrastructure linked to groups operating from Pakistani territory, describing the strikes as "measured" and "non-escalatory."
Support acknowledgment
China provided on-site technical support to Pakistan during conflict
Recently, China confirmed that it had provided on-site technical support to Pakistan during the four-day military conflict with India. This was revealed by Zhang Heng, an engineer from Aviation Industry Corporation of China's Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, in an interview aired on state broadcaster CCTV. He said their team was driven by a "desire to do an even better job with on-site support" and to ensure their equipment could "truly perform at its full combat potential."
Hardware dependence
China's military hardware dominance in Pakistan
The Indian Army has said that a staggering 81% of Pakistan's military hardware is of Chinese origin. This was also confirmed by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which noted that China has sold $8.2 billion worth of arms to Pakistan since 2015. Between 2020 and 2024, China was the fourth-largest arms exporter globally, with nearly two-thirds of its exports going to Pakistan, making Islamabad its biggest weapons client. Pakistan operates Chinese-made J-10CE jets, produced by an AVIC subsidiary.