China expands satellite support to Pakistan, India’s Ministry of Defense research team says
Image used for representation purposes. In a video released by Defence Pro, Indian Army personnel took screenshots on this screen during a comprehensive live exercise within the field fire range of Teesta, West Bengal on May 15, 2025. (Defense Pro passes PTI photos) (PTI05_15_2025_000357B) | Image source: –
According to a research team from India’s Ministry of Defense, China provided air defense and satellite support to Pakistan during the conflict with India this month, suggesting that Beijing is more directly involved in the conflict than previously disclosed.
Ashok Kumar, director-general of the Joint Warfare Research Centre, based in New Delhi, said China helped Pakistan reorganize its radar and air defense systems to more effectively detect national deployment of troops and weapons.
“China has also helped Pakistan adjust its satellite coverage to India during the 15-day interval of killing 26 Indian tourists on April 22 and hostilities between the two countries,” he said.
“It helped them redeploy air defense radars to enable any action we take from the air routes is what they know,” Kumar said in the group headquarters in New Delhi.
The Indian government has not yet publicly detailed the involvement of China in the conflict. Although Pakistan said it was using China for weapons, Kumar’s assessment (if correct) showed that China’s participation was further developed to provide logistical and intelligence support to Islamabad.
The Joint War Research Centre describes itself as an autonomous think tank focusing on the integration and transformation of Indian armed forces. Its advisory board includes Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and India’s top military commander and heads of the Army, Air Force and Navy.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry did not respond to requests for comment over the weekend. Representatives from India’s Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry, Armed Forces and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office did not respond to a request for comment. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry and Information Ministry also did not respond to Sunday’s email inquiries.
The conflict is the worst conflict between nuclear-weapon neighbors in half a century, with both sides trading air, drone and missile strikes, as well as artillery and small arms firing along common borders. It was triggered by a bloody incident on April 22, which India says is a terrorist act orchestrated by Pakistan. Islamabad leaders deny participation.
The conflict attracted world powers, and President Donald Trump gained praise for helping mediate the ceasefire that began, a claim that it caused anger in India, saying the armistice was negotiated by both sides. Pakistan’s deputy prime minister said on Thursday that the ceasefire would be extended to Sunday, while Indian troops said they would continue to carry out confidence-building measures with Pakistan.
Kumar said China uses the conflict as the basis for testing its weapons. Kumar said that in some cases, China’s defense system performed below average and had a “debtat defeat”. He did not provide specific details.
Kumar said India’s defense system responded well to Pakistan’s use of hundreds of drones in the conflict, adding that India’s comprehensive review network gave it an advantage. He did not comment on China’s J-10C fighter jets or Pakistan’s claim that Indian fighter jets defeated Indian fighter jets.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that Pakistan shot down six Indian fighters, an assertion that has not been independently verified. The Indian government has not commented on whether it lost its plane in the fight.
Chinese weapons like the J-10C fighter and PL-15 air-to-air missile have never seen live combat before, and their use has raised concerns among Beijing competitors throughout the region, including Taiwan. The Chinese government has not commented on the use of its equipment, and Pakistan has provided no evidence to support its claims.
Kumar said India’s plan to clash with Pakistan is now a possibility for China to provide assistance to Islamabad. Kumar said China cannot intervene on behalf of Pakistan unless the situation is “critical”, but Pakistan will have a conflict between India and China.
“Two rounds of situations”
“India is now in two situations in almost all calculations,” Kumar said. “Everything with China and China today can be seen as being with Pakistan tomorrow.”
The long-standing conflict between India and Pakistan is concentrated in disputed areas in Kashmir, a mountainous group, which is the overall claim of the two countries but partially controlled.
China has long been a supporter of Pakistan, dating back to the Cold War, and recently, China has invested billions of dollars in the country through its belt and road infrastructure programs. In recent years, India has shifted more military resources to a disputed border with China, where the 2020 conflict killed 20 Indian soldiers and unknown Chinese troops.
Recently, India and China have taken big steps towards normal ties.
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Published on May 18, 2025
