'The missile you mentioned ... ': Chinese military dodges questions on performance of its weapons used by Pakistan against India

The Chinese military on Thursday declined to comment on the effectiveness of Chinese-made weapons used by Pakistan during its recent military confrontation with India, including the recovery of an unexploded PL-15E missile, China's advanced beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile.

The missile you mentioned is an export equipment and has been shown at defence exhibitions at home and abroad many times, Chinese defence ministry spokesperson Sr Col Zhang Xiaogang said in his media briefing responding to media queries.

"India and Pakistan are neighbours that cannot be moved away. We hope both sides remain calm and restrained and avoid actions that could escalate tensions," Zhang said during the ministry's monthly press briefing. He reiterated China’s position of promoting regional peace and expressed readiness to play a “constructive role” in achieving a lasting ceasefire.

The comments come in the wake of India's retaliatory strikes under "Operation Sindoor" conducted from May 7 to 10, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The strikes followed the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 civilians, mostly tourists dead.

During Pakistan’s attempted counterattacks on May 8, 9, and 10, remnants of Chinese-made weapon systems were recovered, raising questions over their effectiveness.

While the Chinese government has avoided directly addressing these reports, state-run media have shown heightened interest in the India-Pakistan clash, reflecting the depth of military ties between Beijing and Islamabad.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China supplied 81 per cent of Pakistan’s total arms imports between 2020 and 2024. These included advanced fighter jets, naval vessels, submarines, and missile systems. China and Pakistan also co-produce the JF-17 fighter jet, the backbone of the Pakistan air force.