Indo-Pacific — 2026-05-12

China Admits Providing Technical Support to Pakistan During Operation Sindoor

China's state broadcaster CCTV last week aired an interview with Zhang Heng, an AVIC engineer at the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, confirming Chinese technical personnel were stationed at a Pakistani support base during Operation Sindoor in May 2025. Zhang described hearing fighter jets and air-raid sirens from the base and said the team aimed to ensure J-10CE fighters could "truly perform at their full combat potential." South China Morning Post, which first reported on the broadcast, characterized Zhang's remarks as the first public acknowledgment of direct Chinese on-site support during the conflict. India's MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded on May 12, saying responsible nations should "reflect whether supporting attempts to protect terrorist infrastructure affects their reputation and standing."

Analysis
Beijing's decision to air Zhang Heng's account on CCTV converts an unacknowledged operational reality into deliberate information policy. The commercial logic may outweigh the alliance signal: AVIC needs demonstrated battlefield performance to sustain J-35 export negotiations, and Pakistan is the sole foreign J-10CE operator. New Delhi's response, anchoring criticism in counterterrorism framing rather than naming China per The Tribune's coverage of the MEA presser, reflects the diplomatic ceiling maintained since October 2024's LAC disengagement and subsequent Modi-Xi contact. China is unlikely to publicly expand formal defense cooperation with Pakistan beyond acknowledged technical support by mid-November 2025, though that judgment carries moderate confidence given limited visibility into Beijing's deliberations.

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