China Admits On-Ground Role At Pakistani Air Bases During Operation Sindoor; Here’s How Beijing Helped Islamabad

China has, for the first time, confirmed that it provided on-ground technical support to Pakistan during last year’s conflict with India. Beijing’s admission comes shortly after India marked the anniversary of Operation Sindoor on May 7, the military response launched after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack last year.

China Confirms Deployment Of Experts 

According to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), engineers from China’s Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) admitted during an interview with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV that they had directly supported Pakistani operations during the conflict. 

Here’s What Beijing Helped With

One of the engineers, Zhang Heng from AVIC’s Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, mentioned working at a support base during the conflict. He described hearing fighter jets taking off and air-raid sirens regularly, while also dealing with extreme heat and pressure. He said his team was focused on ensuring that Chinese military equipment used by Pakistan performed effectively in combat conditions.

Notably, Pakistan’s air force uses Chinese-made J-10CE fighter jets, which are produced by an AVIC subsidiary. Zhang said the experience strengthened ties between Chinese and Pakistani teams. Another engineer, Xu Da, described the fighter jet like a “child” that had finally proven itself in a major test.

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Pak Becomes China’s Biggest Weapons Buyer

The J-10CE is one of China’s most advanced fighter aircraft and Pakistan remains the only country outside China to operate the jet. Islamabad had ordered 36 J-10CE fighters and 250 PL-15 missiles from China in 2020. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China has sold around USD 8.2 billion worth of arms to Pakistan since 2015, making Islamabad Beijing’s biggest weapons customer.

Furthermore, reports suggest Pakistan may soon induct Chinese stealth fighter jets, further strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries. Over the years, India has repeatedly raised concerns over China’s military support to Pakistan. In July 2025, Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh said nearly 81 per cent of Pakistan’s military hardware was of Chinese origin. He claimed that China was using Pakistan like a “live lab” to test its military technology in real conflict situations.

India-Pakistan Tensions

Tensions between India and Pakistan had sharply escalated after the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, in which 26 people were killed. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terror-related sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The strikes reportedly killed over 100 terrorists linked to groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen.

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