Pakistan's use of Chinese weapons against India 'gamechanger'

The share price of a Chinese aircraft manufacturing company has risen following the claimed downing of Indian airforce jets by Pakistan in clashes over Kashmir.

Shares in Chengdu Aircraft Corporation rose by around 17 percent on the Shenzhen exchange following reports that its J-10C fighter jet, used by the Pakistani Air Force, had shot down Indian aircraft during recent clashes between the two countries

Pakistan’s foreign minister claimed the aircraft shot down five Indian jets - including three French-made Rafales - after India launched its Operation Sindoor attack on Pakistan.

India has denied the claim but US officials told Reuters that at least two Indian jets were downed by the J-10Cs, including a Rafael, partially verifying the Pakistani narrative.

China is a key supplier for Pakistan's military, making up 82 percent of the country's arms imports, and representing 60 percent of China's arms export market between 2022 and 2024.

In addition to exporting military equipment to Pakistan, Chengdu Aircraft Corporation has partnered with the country in joint venture,s most notably the co-development of the JF-17 Thunder, a lightweight multirole fighter jet introduced in 2007.

The JF-17 now forms the backbone of the Pakistani Air Force, with 156 aircraft in service, compared to just 20 J-10Cs

As well as aircraft, China supplies Pakistan with air munitions, including the PL-15 air-to-air missile which was used by the J-10Cs in combat against India.

Douglas Barrie, a specialist in military aerospace at the International Institute for Security Studies, has said that the PL-15 reflected "the significant advances the Chinese guided-weapons sector is making in terms of air-to-air weapons," adding that aspects of the missile's performance "makes it a pacing threat for the US and its allies".

Pakistan’s clashes with India marks the first reported use of the J-10C and PL-15 missile in state-on-state aerial combat. The reported success provides real-world validation of China’s defence capabilities and likely contributed to the stock’s sharp rise.

Hu Xijin, former editor of the Global Times, wrote on the Chinese social media platform WeChat that confirmation of Pakistan’s successful use of the aircraft demonstrated that China’s defence industry has "completely surpassed" Russia and France - two of the world’s leading arms exporters and major suppliers to India’s military.

China has been engaged in arge-scale modernisation of its military in a bid to rival the US in the Indo-Pacific region, rapidly expanding its navy with three aircraft carriers and developing a fifth-generation J-20 stealth fighter to rival the US's F-22 and F-35.

Tensions between Pakistan and India escalated into armed clashes after New Delhi launched an attack on Pakistan, claiming it was responding to a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir which killed 24 people.