India has maintained that Beijing had provided support to Islamabad during the war.
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China has confirmed for the first time that it provided on-site technical support to Pakistan during its war with India last year.
On Thursday (May 7, 2026), China’s South China Morning Post said the state broadcaster CCTV aired an interview with Zhang Heng, an engineer from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China’s (AVIC) Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, a key developer of China’s advanced fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle design. Mr. Zhang had provided technical support to Pakistan during the four-day war last May, the newspaper South China Morning Post confirmed.
Pakistan’s Air Force operates a fleet of Chinese-made J-10CE jets, which are produced by an AVIC subsidiary, the newspaper said. Mr. Zhang said: “At the support base, we frequently heard the roar of fighter jets taking off and the constant wail of air-raid sirens. By late morning, in May, the temperature was already approaching 50 degrees Celsius [122 degrees Fahrenheit]. It was a real ordeal for us, both mentally and physically.”
The newspaper quoted Mr. Zhang telling CCTV that What drove his team was the “desire to do an even better job with on‑site support” and to ensure their equipment could “truly perform at its full combat potential”. “That wasn’t just a recognition of the J‑10CE; it was also a testament to the deep bond we formed through working side by side, day in and day out,” the engineer told CCTV, the newspaper said.
The engineers’ comments were the first confirmation that Chinese personnel had played a role in last year’s India-Pakistan clash.
Since the war, India has maintained that Beijing had provided support to Islamabad. “India had to deal with three adversaries during Operation Sindoor, with Pakistan being the “front face” and China and Türkiye providing vital support to India’s western neighbour, Lieutenant General Rahul R. Singh, Deputy Chief of Army Staff said in July, 2025.
The officer had revealed that China’s involvement extended beyond intelligence-sharing, with Pakistan heavily dependent on Chinese military hardware.
Published – May 08, 2026 06:12 pm IST
