China provided direct logistical and intelligence support to Pakistan during the recent 15-day border conflict with India, marking a significant escalation in Beijing’s involvement in South Asia’s most volatile rivalry, Bloomberg has reported.
According to Ashok Kumar, director general of the Center for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS), a research group operating under India’s Ministry of Defense, China helped Pakistan reorganize its radar systems and satellite coverage to better track Indian troop movements and military deployments. The support reportedly occurred in the days following the April 22 massacre in Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 27 mostly Indian tourists and triggered the worst fighting between India and Pakistan in five decades.
“It helped them to redeploy their air defense radar so that any actions which we do from the aerial route is known to them,” Kumar said, noting that China’s assistance made Pakistani forces more responsive during the conflict.
While India’s government has not publicly confirmed China’s involvement, Kumar’s remarks suggest that Beijing’s role extended far beyond weapons sales, encompassing real-time battlefield support. Pakistan has acknowledged using Chinese-supplied military hardware, including the J-10C fighter jets and PL-15 air-to-air missiles, in the conflict. However, it has not confirmed receiving satellite or radar assistance.
The conflict, which erupted into air, drone, and artillery strikes in early May, ended in a ceasefire on 10 May – an agreement US President Donald Trump claimed credit for brokering, though India maintains it was negotiated bilaterally. Tensions remain high as Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar prepares to visit Beijing to discuss the region’s future security framework.
China has avoided commenting directly on its involvement. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning reiterated Beijing’s call for peace, saying China “adheres to an objective and fair stance.” However, Kumar argued that Beijing used the conflict as a testing ground for its military systems, claiming it “failed miserably” in some cases.
The incident has reinforced India’s shift toward planning for a two-front war. “Anything which is with China today can be deemed to be with Pakistan tomorrow,” Kumar warned. “India now factors in a two-front situation in almost all its calculations.”
China has said it seeks good relations with India and that it supports peace between New Delhi and Islamabad. On 28 April, Guo Jiakun, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said in a press briefing that “both India and Pakistan are important countries in South Asia. Their harmonious coexistence is vital to the peace, stability, and development of the region. As the neighbor of the two countries, China calls on the two sides to exercise restraint, solve differences through dialogue, and jointly keep the region peaceful and stable.”
When asked specifically about Pakistan’s proposal for a neutral investigation into the killing of tourists in Kashmir, he said that “China welcomes all measures that will help cool down the current situation and supports carrying out fair and just investigations at an early date.”
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