India’s ‘China Reset’ Has No Answer to AVIC’s Pakistan Admission

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- CCTV aired interviews on May 8 with two AVIC engineers, confirming Chinese technical personnel were at Pakistani operational bases during the four‑day India‑Pakistan conflict in May 2025.
- Xu Da said the J‑10CE fighter’s combat performance—including the reported downing of at least one Indian Rafale—“didn’t feel sudden at all.”
- India’s foreign‑policy establishment has promoted a “China Reset” based on high‑level meetings and LAC patrolling agreements, yet has not specified any fallback conditions.
- Lieutenant General Rahul R. Singh warned in July that Pakistan is a “live lab” for Chinese systems, a claim now supported by the AVIC engineers’ testimony.
- The admission reveals operational integration between China and Pakistan, challenging India’s narrative of civilizational confidence and its strategic recalibration toward Beijing.
Why it matters: India’s diplomatic gamble to lean on Beijing is undercut as China’s direct support to Pakistan is confirmed, bolstering Pakistan’s military edge while eroding New Delhi’s claim of civilizational confidence.




