NEW DELHI: Amid reports that China provided technical assistance to Pakistan during the military conflict that followed India's Operation Sindoor last year, the Indian government has urged China to introspect about the likely reputational cost of backing terrorist infrastructure.
Ministry of External Affairs Responds
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that the reports had only corroborated what was already known. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, '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.'
Jaiswal added, 'It is for nations who consider themselves responsible to reflect whether supporting attempts to protect terrorist infrastructure affects their reputation and standing.'
Details of Chinese Support
Reports from Beijing indicated that China had confirmed providing on-site technical support to Pakistan during the conflict with India in May last year. The confirmation came from an interview aired by China's state broadcaster CCTV with Zhang Heng, an engineer from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China's 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, as reported by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, quoting CCTV.
Pakistan's air force operates a fleet of Chinese-made J-10CE jets, produced by a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China.
