In the latest conflict between Pakistan and India, Pakistan used weapons systems imported from China, with varying degrees of success. Pakistan is a crucial customer for Chinese weapons exports, with 63 percent of China’s arms exports going to Pakistan between 2020 and 2024. The conflict offered an opportunity to observe how Chinese-provided weapons performed against Western-provided and Indian weapons. We asked four experts: What lessons are Pakistan and China — as well as their partners and adversaries — learning from the recent Indo-Pakistani conflict, in terms of how Pakistan used Chinese-supplied weapons and technology?Read more below.Michael Kugelman South Asia analyst and writer of Foreign Policy magazine’s weekly South Asia Brief newsletterThree key lessons emerge for China and Pakistan from this important battlefield test of Chinese weaponry. First, with no clear victor in the clash, it’s apparent that Chinese arms and technology can hold their own against India and its Western arms imports — which many observers have long deemed superior to Pakistani and Chinese weaponry. Second, there are clear areas for improvement. India’s deep penetration of Pakistani airspace with a wide range of weaponry highlights the limits of Chinese air defense technologies. Third, Pakistan’s battlefield use of Chinese arms demonstrates how Pakistan is successfully transitioning away from its previous reliance on American weaponry. Amid a deepening U.S.-Indian defense partnership and U.S. efforts to prevent Pakistan from using American weapons against India, Pakistan must rely more heavily on China and other suppliers like Turkey to address its battlefield needs.Daniel Markey Senior Fellow, Stimson CenterThe recent conflict taught Pakistan that its new Chinese-built J-10CE jets with beyond-visual-range PL-15 missiles are highly effective against India’s French-built Rafale jets. China anticipates that its now “battle-tested” J-10CEs will surge on the export market, and their success reinforces Pakistani confidence in China — offsetting lingering concerns
Members-Only Content
This article is reserved for War on the Rocks members. Join our community to unlock exclusive insights and analysis.
In the latest conflict between Pakistan and India, Pakistan used weapons systems imported from China, with varying degrees of success. Pakistan is a crucial customer for Chinese weapons exports, with 63 percent of China’s arms exports going to Pakistan between 2020 and 2024. The conflict offered an opportunity to observe how Chinese-provided weapons performed against Western-provided and Indian weapons. We asked four experts: What lessons are Pakistan and China — as well as their partners and adversaries — learning from the recent Indo-Pakistani conflict, in terms of how Pakistan used Chinese-supplied weapons and technology?Read more below.Michael Kugelman South Asia analyst