A recent Bloomberg article titled “Chinese Weapons Gain Credibility After Pakistan-India Conflict” highlights how a regional skirmish between India and Pakistan may have broader implications for the global arms market and the perception of Chinese military technology.
According to details, the conflict is prompting “a reassessment of Chinese weapons,” Bloomberg reports, “challenging long-held perceptions of their inferiority to Western arms and sparking concern in places wary of Beijing.”
According to the article, Pakistan’s claim of shooting down five Indian fighter jets — including French-made Rafales — using Chinese J-10C aircraft has drawn particular attention. Though these reports remain unconfirmed by India, the incident led to a surge in the market capitalization of the J-10C’s manufacturer by more than 55 billion yuan ($7.6 billion), representing a jump of more than a quarter by the end of that week.
Taiwan, in particular, took notice. Bloomberg cites Shu Hsiao-Huang, a research fellow at Taiwan’s government-funded Institute of National Defense and Security Research, who remarked: “We may need to reassess the PLA’s air combat capabilities, which may be approaching — or even surpassing — the level of US air power deployments in East Asia.” He further suggested that Washington might consider supplying Taiwan with more advanced systems.
The geopolitical impact wasn’t lost on prominent Chinese voices either. Hu Xijin, the former editor-in-chief of Global Times, took to social media to declare that if the strikes were indeed successful, “Taiwan should feel even more scared.”
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA), despite facing internal scandals—particularly within its Rocket Force—now appears to be gaining confidence through battlefield validations. The J-10Cs, previously with “few battle tests,” are routinely deployed over the Taiwan Strait. Their reported success, Bloomberg writes, “appears to counter those doubts” about PLA’s combat-readiness.
One significant takeaway from the conflict was the first known combat use of China’s PL-15 air-to-air missiles, fragments of which were allegedly found on Indian soil. The PL-15, known for speeds above Mach 5, positions itself as a competitor to Western missile systems.
The economic and strategic implications are substantial. As Bloomberg notes, “There is a good chance the weapons systems China is able to offer will be even more appealing to potential buyers,” especially in the Global South, according to James Char of Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Despite the J-10C not being China’s most advanced aircraft, its perceived effectiveness could bolster Beijing’s credibility in the international arms market.
China’s rise as an arms exporter is also underscored by the tripling of its five-year average weapons exports between 2000–2004 and 2020–2024, based on Stockholm International Peace Research Institute data. However, Bloomberg points out that most of China’s customers are still “developing nations like Pakistan that have limited funds.”
Despite this surge, Chinese arms still carry a stigma. Bloomberg quotes Cindy Zheng, formerly of RAND Corp., who warned of “hidden costs — especially when gear malfunctions,” noting that while Chinese weapons may be cheap upfront, they often come with significant maintenance burdens. She added that China attracts buyers “with cut-rate pricing and financing,” but the true cost can be much higher.
This is backed by real-world examples: Myanmar reportedly grounded its Chinese fighter jets due to structural issues in 2022; Bangladesh filed quality complaints; and even Pakistan’s own Navy has faced operational challenges with Chinese-supplied F-22P frigates.
Bloomberg Intelligence’s Eric Zhu summed it up, saying, “Questions about combat capabilities and other issues, including concerns about interoperability with non-Chinese platforms, have hampered China’s ability to expand exports beyond a handful of countries.”
As of the article’s publication, China’s Ministry of Defense had not responded to requests for comment regarding these past issues or the J-10C’s performance in the latest conflict. Nonetheless, China continues to claim that its military plays a stabilizing global role and prefers peaceful resolution, particularly concerning Taiwan.
In conclusion, while the recent conflict has put a spotlight on Chinese weaponry and potentially elevated its status in the international arms market, questions about reliability, interoperability, and strategic limitations persist — issues that Bloomberg suggests will shape the future of China’s military diplomacy and defense exports.
