US House panel Chinese weaponry resulted in Pakistan’s success in ‘Operation Sindoor’
New Delhi: A new report by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission has said that Pakistan’s military success during its four-day clash with India in May 2025 widely referred to as Operation Sindoor was significantly driven by the deployment of advanced Chinese weaponry. The findings, published in the Commission’s 2025 Annual Report and reported by The Wire, state that Beijing used the conflict not only as a real-world testing ground for its next-generation military systems but also as a platform to push defence exports globally.
The India–Pakistan confrontation followed a terrorist attack in Pahalgam and quickly escalated into one of the most intense exchanges between the two nations in years. According to the US panel, the episode turned into “a showcase” for China’s modern weapons, with Beijing “opportunistically leveraging the conflict to test and advertise the sophistication of its systems,” especially at a time when its own border tensions with India remain unresolved.
The report notes that Pakistan’s deployment of Chinese platforms — including the HQ-9 air defence system, PL-15 air-to-air missiles, and J-10 fighter jets — marked their first use in active combat. These systems, it says, delivered results that Chinese officials later highlighted in coordinated diplomatic messaging.
One of the most striking observations in the report is the claim that Pakistan used Chinese weapons to shoot down Indian Rafale fighter jets — a point the Commission says became a “key selling point” in China’s defence market outreach. Citing diplomatic sources, the report states that Chinese embassies across several countries “hailed the successes of its systems in the India-Pakistan clash”, promoting them as proof of technical superiority. The panel adds that, in the aftermath, Beijing even convinced Indonesia to halt a Rafale purchase that was already underway, using the conflict’s outcome to further its arms-export footprint in Southeast Asia.
The Commission situates this episode within China’s broader strategic approach to South Asia. It writes that Beijing has deepened its defence links, intelligence sharing, and military cooperation with Pakistan in a manner that carries long-term implications for India’s security landscape.
In a separate section, the report examines the India–China boundary situation, highlighting what it describes as “an asymmetry in priorities”. While India seeks “a sustainable solution” that does not appear as a concession and satisfies domestic expectations to stand firm against Beijing, the report argues that China prefers “high-level, well-publicised dialogues to reach partial resolutions” without committing to deeper structural clarity.
The panel also questions whether India’s engagement with China in 2025 reflects a temporary hedging strategy linked to New Delhi’s trade negotiations with the United States, or whether it signals a substantive shift toward renewed normalisation.
The bipartisan Commission’s findings underline the increasingly overlapping military, diplomatic and commercial tensions in the region, with the 2025 India–Pakistan conflict emerging as a key moment in China’s expanding role in South Asian security dynamics.
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RCB beat MI by 18 runs after batters fire
Mumbai (PTI): Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli blasted half-centuries as the defending champions beat Mumbai Indians by 18 runs in an Indian Premier League match here on Sunday.
Salt (78 off 36 balls) and Kohli (50 off 38 balls) stitched together a 120-run stand for the opening wicket before Patidar scored a rapid 53 off just 20 balls as RCB posted 240 for 4.
In response, Mumbai Indians were restricted to 222 for 5, with RCB spinner Suyash Sharma (2/47) putting the skids on the home side with a double strike in the eighth over, from which they could not recover.
Sherfane Rutherford top-scored for MI with an unbeaten 71 off 31 balls.
While opener Rohit Sharma appeared to be struggling with a hamstring issue and had to retire hurt on 19, his partner Ryan Rickelton made 37, while Suryakumar Yadav (33) and Hardik Pandya (40) were the other contributors for MI.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 240 for 4 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 78, Virat Kohli 50, Rajat Patidar 53, Tim David 35 not out).
Mumbai Indians: 222 for 5 in 20 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 71 not out, Ryan Rickelton 37, Hardik Pandya 40; Suyash Sharma 2/47).
