Pakistan claims Chinese jets used against India during 'Operation Sindoor', Beijing says 'not familiar'
China's statement is seen as an embarrassment for Pakistan, as it had claimed that Chinese fighter jets were used to respond to military strikes by India.
The Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday that it was “not familiar with the matter” when asked whether Chinese jets were involved in the India-Pakistan conflict after India hit terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir with missiles on Wednesday.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian was speaking at a regular media briefing in Beijing.
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China's statement is seen as an embarrassment for Pakistan, as it had claimed that Chinese fighter jets were used to respond to military strikes by India and that it had kept Beijing fully informed of its action.
Pakistan foreign minister Ishaq Dar told Parliament that Chinese J-10C jets were used to shoot down five Indian fighter jets along the border, including French-made Rafale jets, the Associated Press of Pakistan news service cited him as saying. The Indian government hasn’t officially confirmed the development.
Also Read | 'Keep in mind, Pahalgam attack is original escalation': India's message to Pakistan
China reiterated Thursday its call for India and Pakistan not to escalate the situation. When asked if Pakistan had confirmed the use of the Chinese-made jets, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, “I am not familiar with the matter you mentioned.”
China is a major backer of Pakistan and its biggest supplier of weapons. Some 82% of Pakistan’s arms imports from 2019-2023 came from China, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which tracks global arms flows.
India’s strikes on terror infrastructures in Pakistan came as Chinese President Xi Jinping was due to leave for Russia on a four-day visit on Wednesday to take part in the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Soviet Union in World War II.
Also Read | India thwarts missile attack on 15 cities, hits Pakistan defences
In retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack, Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out the missile strikes on the terror targets, including Bahawalpur, a stronghold of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror group.
Foreign secretary Vikram Misri said on Wednesday that India decided to carry out the "proportionate" strikes to bring the perpetrators and planners of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack to justice as there was "no demonstrable step" from Pakistan to act against terrorist infrastructure on territories under its control.
