Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Nov 22: China reportedly used the May India-Pakistan tensions to “test and promote” its advanced weapons systems, according to the annual report of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission. The bipartisan commission said Beijing leveraged the four-day conflict to showcase the capabilities of systems like the HQ-9 air defence, PL-15 air-to-air missiles, and J-10 fighter jets in active combat.

The report linked the conflict to India’s response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people. Following cross-border links, India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ on May 7, striking terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

According to the report, in the aftermath, China offered Pakistan 40 J-35 fifth-generation fighter jets, KJ-500 early warning aircraft, and ballistic missile defence systems. Chinese embassies also reportedly highlighted the “successes” of its weapons during the clash to boost sales.

The report added that while some have called the May conflict a “proxy war,” this would overstate China’s role as an instigator. It also accused Beijing of a disinformation campaign targeting French Rafale jets to promote its own J-35s, using fake social media accounts and AI-generated images to spread false claims.

Responding to the report, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning dismissed the findings as biased and “disinformation,” saying the commission “has no credibility to speak of.”