India Criticises China's Support for Pakistan During Operation Sindoor

India has issued a stern message to China, urging responsible nations to reconsider their support for state sponsors of terrorism. This statement follows a Chinese official's revelation that Beijing provided assistance to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor last year. The comments from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) come just days after China admitted to offering ground technical support to Pakistan during three days of military clashes.

In its regular media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that such actions by prominent global players undermine their credibility on the world stage. “We have seen reports that corroborate what was known earlier,” Jaiswal conveyed. He urged nations that view themselves as responsible to reflect on the implications of supporting efforts aimed at protecting terrorist infrastructure, highlighting the negative impact on their international standing.

Jaiswal reiterated that Operation Sindoor represented a “precise, targeted and calibrated response” to a terror attack in Pahalgam that resulted in the deaths of 25 tourists. The operation specifically aimed to dismantle the state-sponsored terror infrastructure emanating from Pakistan.

Reports of Chinese support to Pakistan had been circulating prior, with Lieutenant General Rahul Singh having disclosed last July that China passed on “live inputs” regarding Indian military deployments to Pakistan. Additionally, Singh mentioned that Turkiye supplied Bayraktar drones to Pakistan, although this assistance appeared to have minimal impact during the hostilities. India successfully targeted nine terror camps and struck eleven military sites deep within Pakistan.

Further details regarding the nature of Chinese assistance emerged as China’s state broadcaster, CCTV, aired interviews with engineers from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China’s (AVIC) Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute. In these interviews, one engineer, Zhang Heng, stated that they collaborated with Pakistani personnel during the military activity. “At the support base, we constantly heard fighter jets roaring into the sky and air-raid sirens blaring,” Zhang noted. He described the conditions during the operation as physically demanding, stating that temperatures neared 50 degrees Celsius.

Zhang also asserted their commitment to ensuring that their military equipment, likely referring to the J-10CE fighter jet developed by the Chengdu Group, performed to its full combat potential throughout the conflict. As the anniversary of Operation Sindoor approaches, India continues to highlight the implications of external support to Pakistan during the period of increased military tension.