India on Tuesday, without naming any country, called for introspection “by nations who consider themselves responsible”, after China confirmed that it had provided “on-site technical support to Pakistan” during Operation Sindoor.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was responding to a question at the weekly briefing to reports of China acknowledging for the first time that it had helped Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.
“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. It is for nations who consider themselves responsible to reflect whether supporting attempts to protect terrorist infrastructure affects their reputation and standing.”
The South China Morning Post had on Friday reported on an interview aired the previous day by China’s state broadcaster CCTV of Zhang Heng, an engineer from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China’s (AVIC) Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, a key developer of China’s advanced fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle design.
In the interview, Zhang said: “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°C. It was a real ordeal for us, both mentally and physically.”
The SCMP report further said what drove Zhang’s team was the “desire to do an even better job with on‑site support” and to ensure their equipment could “truly perform at its full combat potential… That wasn’t just a recognition of the J-10CE; it was also a testament to the deep bond we formed through working side by side, day in and day out.”
The J-10CE jets are manufactured by an AVIC subsidiary and one such jet is reported to have shot down a Rafale of the Indian Air Force. India has not confirmed this officially.
According to the SCMP report, another employee of the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute told CCTV that they were not surprised by the “outstanding results the J-10CE achieved”, adding: “In fact, it felt inevitable. The aircraft just needed the right opportunity. And when that moment came, it delivered exactly as we knew it would.”