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CHINESE MILITARY TECH
Global Reassessment of Chinese Military Tech After India-Pakistan Aerial Battle
With Beijing’s arms exports under renewed spotlight, battlefield performance could prove to be the best advertisement
The recent flare-up between India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed neighbors with a long history of conflict, has thrust an unexpected player into the global spotlight: Chinese weaponry. For decades, Western arms — particularly those from the United States, France, and other NATO countries — have been regarded as the benchmark in military technology. Chinese weapons, by contrast, were often dismissed as inferior, plagued by perceptions of poor quality and unreliability.
However, the latest confrontation along the Indo-Pakistani border may mark a turning point, forcing a reassessment of China’s military exports and raising alarm in capitals wary of Beijing’s growing influence. Pakistan claims that its Chinese-manufactured J-10C fighter jets successfully engaged and downed five Indian aircraft, including sophisticated French-made Rafale fighters.
While these reports await independent verification and India has maintained a conspicuous silence on the matter, the market has already rendered its verdict: the…