As hostilities between India and Pakistan escalate following India’s Operation Sindoor, China has officially denied any involvement of its fighter jets in the conflict. This comes in response to widespread reports suggesting that JF-17 Thunders—fighter jets co-developed by China and Pakistan—were used by Islamabad to counter India’s precision air strikes.
A spokesperson from China’s Foreign Ministry told Reuters that they were “not familiar with the matter,” distancing Beijing from any direct military role in Pakistan’s retaliation efforts. The denial follows India’s strong objection to a report by the Chinese state-run outlet Global Times, which claimed—based on unnamed Pakistani military sources—that three Indian fighter jets were shot down during the operation. India swiftly dismissed the claim as “baseless disinformation.”
The Indian Embassy in Beijing publicly rebuked Global Times on X (formerly Twitter), stating:
"Dear @globaltimesnews, we would recommend you verify your facts and cross-examine your sources before pushing out this kind of disinformation..."The embassy emphasized that such reporting reflects a serious lapse in journalistic responsibility and ethics.
India has categorically denied the loss of any military assets, stating that Operation Sindoor was a complete success, with all targeted terror camps in Pakistan and POK destroyed without Indian casualties. The operation—conducted at 1:05 AM on Wednesday—was a 25-minute high-precision strike involving air, naval, and ground forces, targeting infrastructure used by terror groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Notably, the operation was launched in response to the April 22 attack in Palgham, J&K, where 26 civilians were killed. Analysts have noted that the scale and depth of Operation Sindoor surpass even the 2019 Balakot strikes.
In the wake of rising tensions, China has called for calm, urging both India and Pakistan to “exercise maximum restraint” and stating its intent to play a constructive diplomatic role to de-escalate the situation.
“China opposes all forms of terrorism... We urge both sides to act in the larger interest of peace and stability,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian.
