Zhang Heng

Force in Play

Identified on Chinese state TV as having been at a Pakistani support base during Operation Sindoor

For a year, Beijing said it was not on the battlefield. On May 8, 2026, China's state broadcaster aired interviews with two engineers from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) who said they had been stationed at Pakistani airbases during the four-day clash with India in May 2025, working alongside Pakistan Air Force crews flying Chinese-built J-10CE fighters. The admission turns a denial into a record — and the commercial logic behind it was already visible. AVIC's aircraft subsidiary posted first-quarter 2026 revenue up nearly 80 percent year-on-year, with Bangladesh reportedly in a $2.2 billion government-to-government deal for 20 J-10CEs and Indonesia evaluating a larger batch. A jet with a confirmed combat record sells itself.

Updated 2 hours ago