For the first time, China has admitted in front of everyone that it had helped Pakistan during Operation Vermillion. According to a report by South China Morning Post, in an interview shown on China’s state media CCTV, engineer Zhang Heng of Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute said that his team is providing technical help to Pakistan. He said that their job is to ensure that the fighter jets and their associated systems are completely ready for combat. According to the report, the Pakistan Air Force uses the Chinese-made J-10CE fighter jet, which is made by a subsidiary of AVIC. Indian Army’s Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Rahul Singh had claimed in July 2025 that China had provided a lot of help to Pakistan during Operation Vermillion.
Pakistan used fighter jet made in China
Pakistan used fighter jets made in China during Operation Sindoor. Engineer Zhang Heng said that Pakistan Air Force uses Chinese-made J-10CE fighter jet, which is an export version of China’s J-10C multirole combat aircraft. This aircraft is manufactured by a subsidiary of AVIC. Zhang Heng said in an interview that the sound of fighter jets and air raid sirens could be heard continuously at the support base. He said, “The temperature used to reach 50 degrees Celsius in the morning in May. It was a very difficult situation both mentally and physically.” After the Pahalgam terrorist attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025. At that time, India accused China of supporting Pakistan. However, at that time the Chinese Foreign Ministry and military officials denied these allegations.
China used Operation Sindoor as a live lab
India’s Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Rahul Singh, told a FICCI seminar in July 2025 that China used Operation Sindoor as a “live lab”. According to him, China monitored Indian military activities through its satellite network and provided real-time inputs to Pakistan. Lieutenant General Singh compared China’s strategy to the earlier Chinese military strategy of “36 Strategy”. Did it by doctrine. He said China adopted a strategy of “killing with a borrowed knife” and used Pakistan to put pressure on India. During the fighting, Chinese social media accounts and officials promoted Pakistani claims of downing Indian fighter jets. However, Pakistan has not publicly released any evidence to support these claims. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s losses have been largely ignored in China’s state media. The Indian Army said it had targeted Pakistani terrorist headquarters, airbases and Chinese radar systems, giving it air advantage. Recently, Chinese media also reported that Beijing is considering selling its fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, J-35, to Pakistan. Experts are linking it to China’s global promotion campaign for defense technology. Another Pakistani engineer, Shu Da, described the J-10CE as “like a child”. “We built it, maintained it, and then delivered it to users. After that, it went through extensive testing.” Xu Da said, “The J-10CE’s performance did not surprise us. It did not happen by accident. We waited for the right opportunity, and when it came, it performed as we expected.”
J-10CE is the export version of China’s J-10C fighter jet. It is equipped with AESA radar and advanced air-to-air missile system. Pakistan is believed to be the only foreign operator of this series. Pakistan had signed a contract in 2020 to purchase 36 J-10CE fighter jets and 250 PL-15 missiles. According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, about 80% of Pakistan’s arms imports between 2021 and 2025 are to come from China. Pakistan Air Force is also heavily dependent on JF-17 fighter jets. This fighter aircraft was jointly developed by China and Pakistan and is considered one of the main combat capabilities of Pakistan.
