Chinese Defence Ministry avoids addressing performance of Chinese-made arms in recent India-Pakistan conflict, as Stockholm report shows China as Pakistan’s top supplier.
May 30, 2025 Beijing: The Chinese military on Thursday declined to comment on how its weapons performed in Pakistan’s recent conflict with India.
Defence Ministry Spokesperson Sr. Col. Zhang Xiaogang also downplayed reports of India recovering an unexploded PL-15E missile—China’s most advanced beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile.
“The missile you mentioned is an export item, showcased at many defence exhibitions,” Zhang said at the Chinese Defence Ministry’s first media briefing since the May 7–10 India-Pakistan hostilities.
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Asked about claims that Chinese air defence and satellite support to Pakistan underperformed, Zhang deflected:
“India and Pakistan are neighbours that cannot be moved away.”
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His comments come after a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) confirmed China is Pakistan’s largest arms supplier, accounting for 81% of its weapons imports from 2020–2024.
The report noted that China supplies Pakistan with advanced jets, radars, naval assets, submarines, and missiles, including jointly-produced J-17 fighters.
The India-Pakistan clashes followed India’s precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor, launched in response to a deadly April 22 attack in Pahalgam.
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China-Pakistan relations, India-Pakistan conflict, Chinese weapons, SIPRI report, PL-15E missile, J-17 aircraft, Operation Sindoor