A recent US congressional report has accused China of exploiting the brief but intense India-Pakistan conflict in May 2025 as a live testing ground for its advanced weaponry, marking the first combat deployment of several key systems. The annual report from the bipartisan US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, released on November 19, describes Beijing's actions as "opportunistic," aimed at both validating and marketing its defense technologies amid ongoing border frictions with India and ambitions to expand its arms export market.

The four-day clash, triggered by a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22 that killed 26 civilians, escalated when India launched "Operation Sindoor" on May 7, targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Pakistan's retaliatory missile and drone barrages were largely neutralized by Indian defenses, leading to counterstrikes on Pakistani airfields before a ceasefire took hold on May 10.

The report highlights that Chinese-supplied systems, including the HQ-9 surface-to-air missile system, PL-15 air-to-air missiles, and J-10 fighter jets, saw their debut in real-world combat during the skirmishes, providing Beijing with invaluable data on performance under fire. "This clash served as a real-world field experiment," the document states, drawing from public sources, media analyses, and commission hearings.

In the aftermath, China reportedly moved swiftly to capitalize, offering Pakistan a lucrative package in June that included 40 J-35 fifth-generation stealth fighters, KJ-500 early-warning aircraft, and ballistic missile defense systems. Chinese diplomatic channels amplified narratives of the equipment's "successes" in the conflict, with embassies touting the technology's reliability to potential buyers across the region, aligning with China's broader strategy to challenge Western dominance in global arms sales.

Beyond the testing, the commission alleges China orchestrated a sophisticated disinformation effort to undermine India's French-made Rafale fighter jets, which played a pivotal role in thwarting Pakistani incursions. According to French intelligence cited in the report, Beijing deployed fake social media accounts to disseminate AI-generated images and video game footage purporting to show Rafale wreckage from "Chinese weaponry strikes," aiming to steer international buyers toward its J-35 alternatives.

This campaign reportedly influenced Indonesia to pause negotiations for a Rafale acquisition that was nearing completion. The move fits into a pattern of hybrid tactics Beijing has employed in other geopolitical flashpoints, blending military opportunism with information warfare to erode competitors' market share.

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China dismissed the findings outright as biased fabrications during a Foreign Ministry briefing on November 20. Spokesperson Mao Ning labeled the commission "ideologically prejudiced" and lacking credibility, insisting the report itself constituted "disinformation." While the characterization of the May conflict as a full-fledged "proxy war" orchestrated by China was deemed overstated—given Beijing's limited direct involvement—the episode underscores deepening trilateral tensions.

For India, which has ramped up indigenous defense production under initiatives like "Make in India" while diversifying suppliers away from reliance on any single nation, the revelations serve as a stark reminder of the multifaceted threats posed by adversarial powers in South Asia's volatile security landscape. As the US commission urges closer scrutiny of China's military exports, regional stakeholders brace for potential ripple effects on alliances and procurement strategies in the months ahead.

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