India's sharp message to China on providing Pak support during Op Sindoor

In a sharp swipe at China, India said 'responsible nations' should reflect on backing state sponsors of terror. The remark came as China publicly admitted to helping Pakistan during Operation Sindoor last year.

In Short

• India says China's 'support' to Pakistan during Sindoor was known
• Says Sindoor aimed at destroying state-sponsored terror infra
• Beijing publicly acknowledged assisting Pakistan during Sindoor last year

India said "responsible nations" must reflect on their attempts to support state sponsors of terror, in a pointed message to China after Beijing publicly admitted assisting Pakistan during Operation Sindoor last year. The remarks come days after a Chinese official suggested Beijing provided on-ground technical assistance to Pakistan during the three-day hostilities. It, however, did not account for much as Islamabad scurried to Delhi for a ceasefire as the Indian military pounded air bases in Pakistan.

In its weekly media briefing, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) underscored that such actions by global actors undermined their credibility and global reputation. "We have seen reports that corroborate what was known earlier," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

INDIA'S REPUTATION JAB AT CHINA

"It is for nations that consider themselves responsible to reflect on whether supporting attempts to protect terrorist infrastructure affects their reputation and standing," Jaiswal further said.

Jaiswal reiterated that Operation Sindoor was a "precise, targeted and calibrated response" to the terror attack in Pahalgam, which left 25 tourists dead. "It was aimed at destroying state-sponsored terror infrastructure operating out of Pakistan," he further said.

That China provided support to its all-weather friend Pakistan during the conflict was known all along. In July last year, Lieutenant General Rahul Singh first revealed that China provided "live inputs on our deployment" to Pakistan.

Not only China, but Lt General Singh also disclosed that Turkiye also supplied Bayraktar drones to Pakistan. But such assistance had little impact on the conflict as India destroyed nine terror camps and struck 11 military sites deep inside Pakistan.

HOW CHINA HELPED PAKISTAN DURING SINDOOR

So, what help did China provide? On the day India marked the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, China's state broadcaster CCTV aired interviews with engineers from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China's (AVIC) Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute

Beijing's South China Morning Post on Friday reported that state broadcaster CCTV aired interviews with engineers from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China's (AVIC) Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute. The institute works on developing military aircraft and drones for China's air force.

In the interview, one of the engineers, Zhang Heng, said they worked alongside Pakistani personnel during the hostilities.

"At the support base, we constantly heard fighter jets roaring into the sky and air-raid sirens blaring," Zhang was quoted as saying by the South China Morning Post.

"By late morning, temperatures were nearing 50 degrees. It was physically exhausting and mentally intense," he further said.

Zhang emphasised their role was to ensure that their equipment could "truly perform at its full combat potential". He was likely referring to the J-10CE fighter jet, manufactured by the Chengdu Group.

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