- By Supratik Das
- Tue, 13 May 2025 03:16 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Chinese military on Monday categorically refuted reports claiming that its largest military cargo aircraft, the Xi’an Y-20, had transported arms supplies to Pakistan amid heightened tensions in South Asia. The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) dismissed the claims as “baseless rumours” and issued a stern warning of legal action against those spreading misinformation. According to a statement published on the official website of the Chinese Defence Ministry, the PLAAF clarified that no Xi’an Y-20 aircraft had delivered either relief or military supplies to Pakistan. The PLA said it had observed a large volume of false information online alleging that the aircraft was involved in a supply mission. The clarification is just days after India initiated 'Operation Sindoor' on May 7 to target nine terror infrastructure locations in Pakistan and PoK in reprisal of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that resulted in the loss of 26 civilians, with one Nepali national among the dead.
While China denied the most recent cargo flight to Pakistan, its extensive defence cooperation with Islamabad is well recorded. China supplied 81 per cent of Pakistan's arms imports between 2020 and 2024, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). These include superior fighter aircraft, naval ships, radars, submarines, and missile systems. As part of post-strike inspections, the Indian military displayed wreckage of a Chinese-origin PL-15 air-to-air missile that was allegedly deployed by Pakistan for retaliatory strikes. Turkish-origin SONGAR drones and rounds were also seized.
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Speaking on this, Foreign Affairs analyst Robinder Sachdev said to ANI, “China has enough influence over Pakistan’s military and intelligence apparatus. Some elements within Pakistan could be instigated to carry out sporadic attacks to sabotage any peace effort.” He also pointed out that sustained conflict between India and Pakistan could be in China's strategic interest by keeping India off guard from other regional priorities. “These are war treasures. By reverse engineering this debris, India can better understand the electronics and engineering behind Chinese and Turkish military technologies used by Pakistan. This would be beneficial for India in any future engagement involving China," he added.
China's Foreign Ministry, on the other hand, took a conciliatory note. Spokesman Lin Jian said, "China welcomes the recent ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan. This is in the long-term interest of both nations and the region." He further added that China would like to play a "constructive role" in bringing peace and stability to South Asia, urging both countries to continue dialogue and de-escalate tensions.