China’s state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) has for the first time confirmed that Chinese personnel were deployed to support Pakistan during the 2025 India–Pakistan conflict. In a May 7 military program, engineers from the Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) of China said they were sent to the front line to provide technical and logistical assistance to Pakistani forces.
The conflict followed an April 22, 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that killed 26 people. India launched “Operation Sindoor,” striking targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, leading to four days of fighting. Reports indicated that a Chinese-made J-10CE fighter jet used by Pakistan shot down at least one Indian Rafale jet, drawing international attention.
CCTV identified AVIC engineers Zhang Heng and Xu Da as among those providing on-site support, describing combat conditions including frequent air raid alerts and extreme heat. Their accounts are seen as the first public acknowledgment of direct Chinese involvement in support roles.
A 2025 report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission suggested China may have used the conflict to test weapons performance and possibly provide real-time intelligence. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, China has sold about $8.2 billion in arms to Pakistan since 2015 and ranked as the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter between 2020 and 2024.
Source: Epoch Times, May 9, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/26/5/8/n14759816.htm/amp