China-Pakistan collaboration poses a new battlefield threat.

China-Pakistan Strategic Connection and Impact

• Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Rahul R. Singh confirmed China’s role in Pakistan’s military efforts during Operation Sindoor.

• China’s military assistance was less significant than in previous confrontations.

• China’s posture was more layered and collective, using its defense-industrial base, intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance capabilities, and geostrategic assets.

• China refrained from condemning the Pahalgam terrorist attack until a conversation between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

• India avoided political-level contact with China during the Pahalgam and Operation Sindoor context, signaling India’s assessment of China’s unhelpful stance.

• Chinese media played a significant role in shaping perceptions, amplifying Pakistan’s propaganda and aligning with Pakistan’s psychological warfare efforts.

Chinese Military Colusion and its Impact on Pakistan

• China’s military collusion has led to a “one-front reinforced war” where a conflict with Pakistan can now openly involve China.

• Pakistan’s deployment of advanced Chinese-origin systems demonstrated enhanced capability through operational integration.

• Chinese ISR systems provided real-time data, situational awareness, and surveillance capabilities to Pakistani forces.

Conclusions and Future Directions

• The significant role of Chinese hardware, ISR, and battlefield advisory inputs has complicated India’s deterrence framework.

• A “new normal” is emerging where India finds greater latitude for conventional operations against Pakistan despite the nuclear overhang.

• India now faces live borders with both China and Pakistan, forcing it to spread its resources simultaneously.

• India is entering a period where sub-conventional conflict and conventional operations blur across a composite threat from China and Pakistan.