China on Wednesday said that it was “not familiar” if the Chinese jets were involved in the India-Pakistan conflict following India’s strikes on nine terror hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as part of Operation Sindoor on Wednesday.
“Not familiar with the matter,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian at a regular media briefing in Beijing.
According to a CNN report, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had on Wednesday said that its military had used Chinese-made aircraft to shoot down five Indian fighter jets on Wednesday.
Pakistan claimed it shot down the Indian jets – three French-made Rafales, a MiG-29 and an Su-30 fighter – after India launched airstrikes on terrorist hideouts inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
“Our jet fighters were J-10Cs that shot down the three French Rafales and other jets,” CNN quoted Dar saying on Wednesday.
He added that by 4 am on Wednesday, there was “an entire Chinese team at the Foreign Office along with their ambassador” being updated on what had taken place.
China remains Pakistan’s primary source of military hardware, accounting for 81% of the country’s arms imports over the past five years, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
In response to rising tensions following India’s recent military strikes on Pakistan, Beijing on Wednesday called for calm and urged both nations to de-escalate.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said the government “expressed regret over India’s military action against Pakistan.”
With inputs from agencies