In the wake of Chinese official media reports that admitted to Beijing providing technical support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, India has come out with scathing criticism, saying it is for countries that consider themselves responsible to reflect on if aiding attempts to protect terrorist infrastructure affects their reputation and standing.
While responding to a question on China's admission to supporting Pakistan, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We have seen reports that corroborate what was known earlier."
Noting that 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", he said, "It is for nations that consider themselves responsible to reflect whether supporting attempts to protect terrorist infrastructure affects their reputation and standing..."
Last week, China, for the first time, confirmed that it provided on-site technical support to Pakistan during the conflict with India in May 2025.
China's state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday 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. Zhang had provided technical support to Pakistan during the four-day war last May, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported, quoting CCTV.
Pakistan's air force operates a fleet of Chinese-made J-10CE jets, produced by an AVIC subsidiary.
"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," Zhang had said.
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", Zhang told CCTV.
"That wasn't just a recognition of the J10CE; it was also a testament to the deep bond we formed through working side by side, day in and day out," he said.