India on Tuesday issued a sharp response to reports claiming China helped Pakistan during Operation Sindoor in May last year, saying countries that consider themselves responsible must reflect on how such actions impact their global standing.
The remarks came after a Chinese official reportedly acknowledged that Beijing had provided on-site technical support to Pakistan during its conflict with India, following heightened tensions between the two neighbours after the Pahalgam terror attack.
"We have seen these reports that corroborate what was known earlier. 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," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a media briefing.
“It is for nations who consider themselves responsible to reflect whether supporting attempts to protect terrorist infrastructure affects their reputation and standing,” he added.
Operation Sindoor and China's help to Pakistan
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after Lashkar-linked terrorists shot dead 26 tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, 2025. The attack prompted India to launch military strikes targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
In an interview broadcast by Chinese media last week, Zhang Heng, an engineer at the Aviation Industry Corporation of China’s Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, spoke about China’s direct involvement in supporting Pakistani operations, according to the South China Morning Post.
Heng was among those who provided technical assistance to Pakistan during the conflict. “At the support base, we frequently heard the roar of fighter jets taking off and the constant wail of air raid sirens. By late morning in May, the temperature was already approaching 50 degrees Celsius. It was a real ordeal for us, both mentally and physically,” he was quoted as saying.
