A top Indian Army officer has raised serious concerns over Pakistan’s growing military reliance on China. Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh shared that 81 percent of Pakistan’s military weapons now come from China and warned that China may be using the country to test its weapons in real battle-like situations.

Lt Gen Singh was speaking about the recent rise in tensions between India and Pakistan, which followed a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, where 26 people lost their lives.

India responded by launching Operation Sindoor, in which the Indian forces targeted nine terror-related sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). More than 100 terrorists linked to groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen were reportedly killed.

"There are a few lessons from Operation Sindoor. The strategic messaging by leadership was unambiguous. There is no scope of absorbing the pain the way we did a few years ago," Lt Gen Singh said. "The planning and selection of targets was based on a lot of data that was collected using technology and human intelligence... It was only the final day or the final hour that the decision was taken that these nine targets would be engaged," he added.

The army officer explained how the defense relationship between China and Pakistan has gone far beyond just selling weapons. He said China is now using Pakistan to try out new military technologies like surveillance tools and fighter planes in live conflict situations.

“We had one border and two adversaries, actually three. Pakistan was in the front. China was providing all possible support. 81 percent of the military hardware in Pakistan is Chinese. China is able to test its weapons against other weapons, so it's like a live lab available to them,” Lt Gen Singh said.

He also said that Turkey played a role in giving support to Pakistan. During talks between army officials from both sides, China reportedly gave Pakistan live updates on India’s military movements.

“We need a robust air defense system,” he added.

According to SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute), China has sold weapons worth $8.2 billion to Pakistan since 2015. From 2020 to 2024, China was the fourth-largest arms exporter in the world, and 63 percent of its arms exports went to Pakistan, making it China’s biggest weapons customer.

Pakistan’s fighter jets mostly come from China. This includes the JF-17 Thunder, which was developed jointly by both countries and the J-10C, a more advanced fighter plane.

Reports also say that Pakistan is planning to get 40 Shenyang J-35 stealth fighter jets from China — a powerful aircraft that very few countries in the world have.

A new report from the US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) for the year 2025 says that India sees China as its main military threat, while Pakistan is seen as a secondary issue that can be managed.

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