India’s Defense Ministry’s think tank has accused the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of providing Pakistan with air defense and satellite image support during the recent India-Pakistan conflict. This assistance was aimed at detecting the deployment of Indian forces, indicating that the CCP was more directly involved in the conflict than previously known. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning avoided addressing these accusations on Monday (May 19), instead emphasizing China’s commitment to an objective and just position.
According to a report from Bloomberg on May 18, Ashok Kumar, the director of the think tank United Combat Research Center in New Delhi, stated in an interview that the CCP helped Pakistan to reorganize its radar and air defense systems to more effectively detect the deployment of Indian military and weapons.
Kumar further claimed that between the outbreak of hostilities that resulted in 26 deaths on April 22 (mostly Indian tourists) and the 15 days of hostile actions between the two countries, China also assisted Pakistan in adjusting its satellite coverage of India.
“China (CCP) helped them redeploy air defense radar so they could be aware of any actions we took on the aerial routes,” Kumar stated, suggesting that the CCP used this conflict as a testing ground for its weapons.
During the regular press conference held by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, when asked about the aforementioned accusations from the Indian side, spokesperson Mao Ning avoided directly addressing the issue. Instead, he mentioned that China has always maintained an objective and just stance since the tensions escalated between India and Pakistan. He called for both countries to remain calm and exercise restraint to avoid further escalation, expressing China’s support for and welcome of the India-Pakistan ceasefire.
The India-Pakistan conflict that erupted on May 7 is the most severe struggle between the two countries in nearly thirty years. Both sides launched missiles and drones at each other’s military facilities, resulting in nearly 70 deaths. The rapid escalation of tensions has raised concerns internationally about the possibility of a full-scale war erupting between these two nuclear-armed neighbors. Under the mediation of the United States, the two countries announced a ceasefire on May 10.