A report submitted to the U.S. Congress says that Pakistan achieved “military superiority” over India during the four-day clashes that took place in May this year.
The report, presented to Congress on Tuesday by the U.S.–China Economic and Security Review Commission, said that Pakistan’s military success over India in the four-day skirmish highlighted the effectiveness of Chinese weapons.
The commission was established to assess how trade and economic relations between the U.S. and China affect national security.
Pakistan initially claimed that it had shot down five Indian aircraft during the aerial fighting, but later raised the number to seven. Islamabad denied losing any of its own aircraft and stated that after three of its airbases were targeted, it struck 26 Indian targets in response. U.S. President Donald Trump recently said that eight aircraft were practically shot down, as he continues to comment on the conflict.
In its annual report, the commission, while referring to the May conflict, said that China used the situation to “test and showcase its defense capabilities.”
The report presented to Congress also highlighted China’s role in the conflict, stating that it drew global attention because Pakistan’s military relied on Chinese weapons and allegedly benefited from Chinese intelligence.
It also cited India’s claim that China provided Pakistan with direct information on Indian military positions during the crisis. The report added that Pakistan denied these allegations, and China neither confirmed nor denied them.
According to the report, China expanded its military partnership with Pakistan in 2025, which in turn increased its own tensions with India.
The report said that in November and December 2024, China and Pakistan conducted three-week-long “Warrior-VIII” counterterrorism exercises, and in February this year, the Chinese Navy participated in Pakistan’s multinational “Aman” naval exercises.
According to the report, these exercises demonstrate the growing defense cooperation between the two countries.
Indian commentators described these exercises as damaging to India’s relations with China and a direct security threat to India’s border positions.
Referring to the May conflict, the report said that although calling the skirmish a “proxy war” would exaggerate China’s role, Beijing nonetheless used the conflict to test and promote the modernization of its weapon systems.
The report also said that as Pakistan’s largest defense supplier, China provided around 82% of Pakistan’s defense imports between 2019 and 2023.
In the May clashes, China’s modern military systems, including the HQ-9 air defense system, PL-15 air-to-air missiles, and J-10 fighter aircraft, were used in actual combat for the first time, providing real battlefield experience.
The report further said that in June, China offered Pakistan 40 fifth-generation J-35 fighter jets, KJ-500 aircraft, and a ballistic missile defense system. In the same month, Pakistan announced a 20% increase in its defense budget for 2024–2025, raising defense spending to $9 billion despite cuts in the overall national budget.
According to the report, in the weeks following the conflict, Chinese embassies praised the performance of Chinese weapons used in the India–Pakistan skirmish, aiming to boost arms sales.
