@ India-West News Desk
NEW DELHI – The recent escalation between India and Pakistan over Kashmir is providing China with valuable military intelligence, particularly through its close defense ties with Islamabad. Analysts and diplomats say China is closely monitoring Indian military activity—both directly and through its weapons systems used by Pakistan in the conflict.
Pakistan’s use of Chinese-made J-10 fighter jets during recent aerial clashes has drawn international attention. Two U.S. officials told Reuters a J-10 shot down at least two Indian aircraft, including a French-made Rafale. Pakistan’s defense and foreign ministers confirmed the use of the jets, giving China a rare opportunity to evaluate the performance of its fighter technology in live combat.
Security experts noted to Reuters that China’s military modernization now allows real-time monitoring of Indian military movements from its border outposts, Indian Ocean assets, and space-based surveillance. China currently operates 267 satellites, including 115 for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and 81 for electronic and signals intelligence, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). This surveillance capability significantly outpaces India’s and is second only to the United States.
China is likely focused on gathering data on Indian air defenses and potential missile launches, including the BrahMos cruise missile, developed jointly with Russia. Analysts say observing command and control systems, flight paths, and radar signatures during conflict helps China refine its own strategic planning.
China’s intelligence gathering also extends into the Indian Ocean, where it has increased the presence of research, tracking, and fishing vessels. While the Chinese navy has not extensively deployed warships in the region, open-source trackers recently observed coordinated movements of large Chinese fishing fleets near Indian naval drills in the Arabian Sea. These fleets are believed to be part of China’s maritime militia, which performs intelligence functions under civilian cover.
Pakistan and China maintain an “all-weather strategic cooperative partnership,” and their military collaboration offers Beijing direct access to operational insights involving Indian forces.
While not a participant in the conflict, China’s ability to collect and analyze data from the Kashmir standoff strengthens its long-term strategic position in its rivalry with India.
