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India's spectacular attack on Pakistan, destruction of nine terror sites, disabling of its air defence and pounding of more than a dozen air bases -- forced Pakistan to sue for peace, leaving its reputation as a military power in tatters. John Spencer, one of the world’s foremost authorities on modern combat, said India achieved a massive victory over Pakistan. "This was not symbolic force. It was decisive power, clearly applied,” Spencer wrote in a post on X..Pakistan's humiliating defeat has also sullied the image of China because Pakistan's Chinese-made weapons and systems failed to protect it. Nearly 80% of weapons Pakistan imports are from China. The India-Pakistan conflict will impact China's weapon exports, crushing its dream to become a major weapons exporter. Chinese defence stocks saw significant declines of up to 9% on Tuesday. This marked a notable shift from their recent gains, which were driven by anticipated increases in Chinese arms sales to Pakistan during a brief period of heightened tensions with India. Possibly, as more details of India-Pakistan conflict came out, including before and after satellite images, it became increasingly clear that Chinese-made weapons failed to protect Pakistan despite repeated speculative reports that Chinese-made jets shot down French-made Rafales. China accounted for 5.9 per cent of global arms exports in 2020–24, which was a slightly lower share than in 2015–19, As per the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). While China is looking to increase its arms exports globally, many of the world’s largest importers still choose not to buy major arms from China for political reasons. The bulk of Chinese arms exports (77 per cent) went to states in Asia and Oceania, followed by those in Africa (14 per cent). China delivered major arms to 44 states in 2020–24, but almost two thirds of its arms exports (63 per cent) went to just one state: Pakistan.There are two takeaways from this: either China supplied inferior-quality weapons to Pakistan or Chinese-made weapons are vastly inferior to India's indigenous weapons and those it imported from Russia, Israel and Western countries. India-Pak Conflict undermines China’s arms export ambitionsThe geopolitical reverberations of India’s Operation Sindoor have extended far beyond South Asia’s borders. As the dust settles from the intense military engagement between India and Pakistan, the performance—or more accurately, the underperformance—of Chinese-supplied weapon systems used by Pakistan has triggered serious scrutiny across the global arms trade. For China, which has been aggressively seeking to position itself as a credible alternative to Western and Russian arms suppliers, this episode represents a significant reputational setback.Despite China’s growing footprint in global defense exports, this conflict has exposed fundamental vulnerabilities in the reliability and combat effectiveness of its military technology. From the misfiring of advanced PL-15 air-to-air missiles to the complete failure of the HQ-9 air defense system, Pakistan’s battlefield experience has raised critical doubts among current and prospective buyers of Chinese military hardware.PL-15 missile performance has embarrassed ChinaAmong the most damaging revelations for China’s defense industry is the operational failure of the PL-15 beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, considered one of China’s most advanced aerial weapons and a potential rival to the American AIM-120D. PL-15s fired by Pakistan’s J-10C fighter jets either missed their targets completely or malfunctioned mid-flight, with some missiles reportedly falling within Indian-controlled territory.This outcome directly challenges Chinese claims of the PL-15's precision, long-range capability and advanced guidance systems. For a system touted as a next-generation air dominance missile, such performance in live combat raises serious questions about its reliability, especially against modern, electronic warfare-equipped fighters like India’s Rafales and Su-30MKIs.HQ-9 air defence system failed to defend PakistanThe Chinese-made HQ-9 surface-to-air missile system, modeled after the Russian S-300, was expected to provide Pakistan with a layered and integrated air defense umbrella. However, the system’s failure to intercept even a single Indian missile or aircraft during Operation Sindoor has been devastating for its credibility.Despite multiple waves of Indian airstrikes targeting critical infrastructure—including highly defended airbases—the HQ-9 reportedly failed to detect, track, or engage incoming threats. This suggests not just a software or guidance flaw but potentially systemic weaknesses in radar coverage, threat discrimination, or missile response times.For potential buyers of the HQ-9, such as countries in the Middle East and Africa considering it as a cheaper alternative to the US Patriot or Russian S-400 systems, this combat data is alarming.The J-10C claims: Reports from the fog of warIn the days following the escalation, several Pakistani and pro-China media outlets reported that the J-10C fighter jets had successfully shot down multiple Indian aircraft, including India’s top-line Rafale jets. However, no visual, radar, satellite, or independent confirmation has supported these claims. India has categorically denied the loss of any Rafales and has not presented any evidence suggesting significant air losses. Indian military officials have instead claimed they have downed several Pakistani jets which are most likely to be J10-Cs. This information vacuum has left the credibility of the reports in serious doubt. The lack of evidence not only casts suspicion on the veracity of the claims but also exposes a broader problem with China’s defense marketing strategy: it often relies on inflated capabilities and unverifiable claims to boost prestige in the absence of real-world performance data.Impact on China’s arms export ambitionsThe outcome of the India-Pakistan conflict involving Chinese weapons has three direct implications for China’s global arms export goals. Countries considering Chinese systems will now be forced to reassess whether the cost savings justify the risks. Nations in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East that were previously impressed by China’s price-to-performance ratio may seek alternatives—either reengaging with Western suppliers or deepening ties with Russia.China is seeking to break into lucrative markets like Eastern Europe, Latin America, and high-end drone systems for the Gulf states. Demonstrated battlefield failure—especially in high-profile platforms like the PL-15 and HQ-9—seriously undercuts China’s ability to compete with systems like the American NASAMS, Israeli Iron Dome, or Russian S-400.While China has made impressive strides in indigenous defense R&D, the events of Operation Sindoor show that glossy brochures and military parades are no substitute for proven battlefield performance. As military procurement increasingly demands reliability, serviceability, and integration with existing platforms, Chinese systems may be perceived as too immature for top-tier defense planning.China’s desire to become a top-tier arms exporter rests on three pillars: technological credibility, competitive pricing, and strategic diplomacy. The India-Pakistan conflict has severely damaged the first of these pillars. Poor performance of systems like the PL-15 missile and HQ-9 air defense network has stripped away much of the illusion of parity with Western and Russian weapons.While China may still find markets willing to trade lower prices for less-proven systems, it is unlikely to advance meaningfully in the premium arms segment unless it addresses the serious quality, testing, and reliability gaps exposed in this conflict. Until then, China’s dream of becoming the world’s leading arms exporter will remain just that—a dream, not a reality.Defective quality has dogged China's arms exportsOver the past two decades, China has emerged as a notable player in the global arms market, ranking as the fourth-largest weapons exporter after the US, Russia, and France. This evolution reflects not only China’s growing industrial and technological capacity but also its strategic intent to position itself as a central power in global security affairs. However, despite making inroads into various regions—particularly in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East—Chinese exports have faced challenges due to defective quality and under-performance.A report in Directus in 2023 had detailed poor quality and weak and inconsistent performance of Chinese weapons impacting exports. Myanmar had expressed concern about the low accuracy of the radar on the Chinese jets it purchased. Due to technical issues, Myanmar grounded the majority of the Chinese jets. Myanmar paid a high price for these Chinese-made jets, but they were still in need of repair four years after they were delivered. Due to maintenance issues, Nigeria was compelled to send seven of nine Chengdu F-7 fighters to China. Pakistan, China's all-weather ally, also encountered problems with Chinese-made navy warships. The F-22P frigates had various technical issues, including engine degradation, faulty sensors, and the missile system's inability to lock on the target.

India on Wednesday banned the X (formerly Twitter) account of the Global Times, the official mouthpiece of China’s ruling Communist Party. Additionally, the account of the Chinese news agency Xinhua News was also blocked.This comes days after the Indian Embassy in China strongly cautioned the media outlet to verify facts before posting on social media.“Dear Global Timesnews, we would recommend you verify your facts and cross-examine your sources before pushing out this kind of disinformation,” the Embassy said in a post on X, responding to the tabloid's coverage of Indian military strikes allegedly targeting Pakistan’s terror infrastructure during Operation Sindoor.ALSO READ: MEA 'categorically' rejects China's attempts to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh 121154737In a follow-up post, the Embassy added, “Several pro-Pakistan handles are spreading baseless claims in the context of #OperationSindoor, attempting to mislead the public. When media outlets share such information without verifying sources, it reflects a serious lapse in responsibility and journalistic ethics.”The Embassy’s remarks came after viral posts from Pakistani accounts and some media suggested that an Indian Rafale jet had been shot down near Bahawalpur.PIB Fact Check team, however, flagged one such viral image as misleading, noting it was from a 2021 crash involving a MiG-21 in Punjab’s Moga district. “Beware of old images shared by pro-Pakistan handles in the present context,” the PIB warned in its own post.Earlier in the day, Ministry of External Affairs also refuted China's claim on Arunachal Pradesh and strongly objected to its attempt to rename places in the state.MEA, in an official statement, reiterated that China's "creative naming" will not alter the undeniable reality that Arunachal Pradesh is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India."We have noticed that China has persisted with its vain and preposterous attempts to name places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. Consistent with our principled position, we reject such attempts categorically," MEA said."Creative naming will not alter the undeniable reality that Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India," it added.