New Delhi: India Tuesday hit out at China and other countries that supported Pakistan during Operation Sindoor last year, urging them to “reflect on whether supporting attempts to protect terrorist infrastructure would impact their international standing.”
“We have seen these reports (on China supporting Pakistan) that corroborate what was known earlier. Operation Sindoor was a precise, targeted, and calibrated response to the terrorist attacks in Pahalgam, aimed at destroying state-sponsored terrorist infrastructure operating out of Pakistan and at its behest,” Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said at a regular press briefing.
Jaiswal added, “It is for nations that consider themselves responsible to reflect whether supporting attempts to protect terrorist infrastructure affects their reputation and standing.”
While the spokesperson did not directly name China in his remarks, his statement was in response to a question on recent reports that have emerged that Beijing provided ground support for Pakistan during the 88-hour conflict last year.
Last week, on the anniversary of Operation Sindoor, Zhang Heng, an engineer at the Aviation Industry Corporation of China’s Chengdu Aircraft and Research Institute, acknowledged the presence of Chinese personnel in Pakistan during the operation.
Zhang, in an interview with the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, mentioned that the Chinese personnel found it a mental and physical ordeal to be present at the Pakistani airbases during Operation Sindoor.
His remarks were the first public confirmation by Chinese officials of their direct support in Pakistani military operations. Zhang and the other Chinese engineers present were to ensure that the aircraft and other air defence systems would work to their fullest extent.
The Pakistani Air Force operates the Chinese-made Chengdu J-10 (J-10C) multiple multi-role fighter aircraft. Zhang’s comments come as China and Pakistan continue to push the operational success of the Chinese-made equipment during Operation Sindoor.
Pakistan had ordered 36 J-10C aircraft in 2020, which is reported to have been delivered by 2025. Beijing has grown to become Islamabad’s dominant arms supplier.
Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Rahul Singh, had last year asserted that India faced the Pakistani Air Force on the field, which was backed by China throughout Operation Sindoor.
“Pakistan was the front face. We had China providing all possible support,” Lt. Gen. Singh had said, as reported by ThePrint.
At the same time as China and Pakistan promoted the success of Chinese equipment, a social media misinformation campaign began surrounding the French-made Dassault Rafale. India uses the Rafale as a part of its Air Force. Dassault has also been competing with China for the sales of Rafale, including in Indonesia.
Indonesia has placed orders for both French and Chinese-made aircraft in recent years.
Ties between India and China have improved since October 2024, following the agreement to disengage at friction points across the Line of Actual Control. Ties had cratered in the summer months of 2020 following clashes at Galwan.
Months after Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to the Chinese city of Tianjin to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Heads of States Summit.
Modi also held a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the time. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also travelled to New Delhi last August and held meetings with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
(Edited by Varnika Dhawan)
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