China gave Pakistan air defense support during clash with India – Bloomberg

China provided Pakistan with air defense and satellite support during its recent military confrontation with India, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing a think tank affiliated with the Indian Defense Ministry. 

Ashok Kumar, director general at the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies in New Delhi, said China assisted Pakistan in reorganizing its radar and air defense systems, enabling them to more effectively detect Indian troop and weaponry deployments, according to the report.

“It helped them to redeploy their air defense radar so that any actions which we do from the aerial route are known to them,” Kumar told Bloomberg. 

The aid indicates a more direct level of involvement from Beijing than was initially revealed, the report claimed. The think tank added that China also provided assistance to Pakistan in adjusting its satellite coverage over India during the 15-day period between the April 22 terror attacks in India’s Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and India’s strikes on suspected terror facilities in Pakistan-controlled territory on May 7. 

China, which called on the South Asian countries to de-escalate during their four-day conflict, has traditionally enjoyed warm defense ties with Pakistan. 

On Monday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar left for a three-day official visit to China at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to a report by state-owned media outlet Radio Pakistan.

Dar will engage in comprehensive talks with his Chinese counterpart, focusing on the changing regional dynamics in South Asia and their potential impact on peace and stability, the report stated. Additionally, the two nations will conduct a thorough review of their relations. 

Pakistan has admitted using Chinese weapons in the recent standoff, according to reports. However, New Delhi has not publicly commented on Beijing’s alleged involvement in the confrontation, which ended with a ceasefire on May 11. 

China has condemned the April terror attack in Kashmir, which claimed 26 civilian lives, adding that it “opposes all forms of terrorism.” 

On the day the South Asian neighbors negotiated a ceasefire, Wang called Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and expressed hope that India and Pakistan “would remain calm and restrained, properly handle differences through dialogue and consultation and avoid escalating the situation.”