The disclosure came through an interview aired by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, where an engineer involved in supporting Pakistan’s air force spoke about working during active combat conditions.
CCTV interviewed Zhang Heng, an engineer from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China’s Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, which develops advanced Chinese fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle design.
Zhang revealed that he was part of a team providing technical assistance to Pakistan during the conflict in May last year. Pakistan’s air force operates Chinese-made J-10CE fighter jets manufactured by an AVIC subsidiary.
Describing the conditions at the support base, Zhang said the team frequently heard fighter jets taking off alongside continuous air-raid sirens, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported, quoting CCTV.
He recalled temperatures nearing 50 degrees Celsius and described the experience as mentally and physically exhausting.
“At the support base, we frequently heard the roar of fighter jets taking off and the constant wail of air-raid sirens. By late morning, in May, the temperature was already approaching 50 degrees Celsius [122 degrees Fahrenheit]. It was a real ordeal for us, both mentally and physically,” he said during the interview.
Despite the harsh conditions, he said the team remained focused on ensuring the equipment could “truly perform at its full combat potential”.
“That wasn’t just a recognition of the J‑10CE; it was also a testament to the deep bond we formed through working side by side, day in and day out,” Zhang told CCTV.
Another employee from the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, Xu Da, reportedly compared the fighter aircraft to a ‘child’ the team had nurtured before handing it. “We nurtured it, cared for it, and finally handed it over to the user. And now, it was facing a major test,” he said.
“As for the outstanding results the J-10CE achieved, we weren’t very surprised, and it didn’t feel sudden at all. In fact, it felt inevitable. The aircraft just needed the right opportunity. And when that moment came, it delivered exactly as we knew it would,” Xu added.
The disclosure comes months after Indian military officials alleged that China had actively supported Pakistan during the conflict. Speaking at a seminar organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry last July, Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh had claimed that China used its satellite network to monitor Indian troop movements during the conflict.
He said that Pakistan’s military was receiving real-time inputs even during DGMO (Director General of Military Operations)-level phone talks.
He had compared China’s approach during Operation Sindoor to the ancient Chinese military concept of the ‘36 stratagems’, particularly the tactic of defeating an adversary using a ‘borrowed knife’. He suggested that Beijing had extended extensive support to Pakistan in an attempt to strategically pressure India without becoming directly involved in the conflict.
At the same time, Chinese officials and social media accounts amplified Pakistan’s claims of shooting down Indian fighter jets, portraying it as evidence of the superiority of Chinese military technology. No concrete proof was produced to back Islamabad’s assertions.
Officials largely stayed silent on reports that Pakistan suffered substantial collateral damage during the conflict. Recent media reports have additionally claimed that China is considering the sale of its stealth J-35 fighter aircraft to Pakistan.
The J-10CE is the export version of J-10C 4.5-generation fighter jet and is regarded as the most advanced variant in the J-10 series. Pakistan remains the only known foreign operator of the J-10Cs outside China. Islamabad had signed a deal in 2020 to acquire 36 fighter jets along with around 250 PL-15 missiles.
