US accuses China of using India-Pakistan conflict as 'weapons testing ground', plotting to defame Rafael

Washington (The Uttam Hindu): A US commission has made a shocking revelation regarding the India-Pakistan conflict of May 2025. The annual report of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission claims that China opportunistically used the war to test and promote its weapons.

According to the report, Beijing saw the four-day conflict as a 'real world field experiment' for its modern weapons and provided massive aid to Pakistan.

Chinese weapons tested on the battlefield

The report details that this conflict was the first time China's modern weapon systems were used in actual combat. The capabilities of the HQ-9 air defense system, PL-15 air-to-air missiles, and J-10 fighter jets were primarily tested. The commission clearly states that China's objective in this conflict was not merely to provide military assistance to Pakistan, but also to use the war as a platform to demonstrate and advertise its weapons prowess to the entire world.

The report makes another serious allegation: China orchestrated a "disinformation campaign" against the Rafale

China orchestrated a conspiracy to defame the French Rafale fighter jets to boost sales of its J-35 fighter jets. China spread images derived from AI and video games through fake social media accounts. These images showed fake images of Rafale wreckage, claiming they were destroyed by Chinese weapons.

According to the report, Chinese embassy officials used this propaganda to persuade Indonesia to stop buying Rafale and instead buy Chinese jets.

The report claims that in June, shortly after the war ended, China offered to sell Pakistan a new arsenal of weapons. This included 40 J-35 (fifth-generation fighter jets), KJ-500 aircraft, and ballistic missile defense systems. Chinese embassies also touted the alleged successes of Chinese systems in the war to boost sales.

China's clarification: 'The report is false and biased'

China has completely rejected the US commission's report. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, "The report issued by the committee is completely false. This committee has always had an ideological bias against China and has no credibility."

What was 'Operation Sindoor'?

This tension between India and Pakistan began with the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, which claimed the lives of 26 people. After investigations revealed strong evidence of cross-border links to the attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7. Under this operation, the Indian Army targeted terrorist camps and airfields in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). In response, Pakistan attempted to retaliate with missile and drone attacks, which were thwarted by Indian defenses. Ultimately, the four-day conflict ended on May 10 with a ceasefire between the two countries.