Pakistan Claims Chinese Weapons Performed Exceptionally in May India Conflict

Pakistan’s military spokesman Maj. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told Bloomberg that China-made systems “performed exceptionally well” during the four-day May clash with India, marking Islamabad’s first large-scale combat deployment of platforms such as J-10C fighters, PL-15 missiles and HQ-9P air-defence systems. Pakistan has claimed its J-10Cs shot down multiple Indian aircraft and raised its tally of Indian losses to seven, but New Delhi has flatly denied those figures—India’s air chief says Indian forces destroyed roughly 12–13 Pakistani jets and struck key airbases. Reporting and defence assessments suggest several Chinese systems underperformed in combat (with PL-15 missiles reportedly shredded), while Indian indigenous weapons like the BrahMos and the Akashteer air-defence system delivered precise, damaging strikes. The confrontation underscored Pakistan’s heavy reliance on Chinese arms—SIPRI data shows about 81% of Pakistan’s 2020–24 arms imports came from China—and Indian analysts have also pointed to Chinese satellite and radar support, even as Islamabad says it will continue to seek the most effective mix of technology.