Defence Secy: China did not play active role in India-Pak skirmish

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh has said that while China supported Pakistan with satellite imagery and military equipment, it did not take an active part in the recent skirmish with India.

Speaking in a podcast with a news agency, Singh was asked about reports of Chinese military and diplomatic officials being present in Pakistani war rooms. He responded, “Collusion, yes — in terms of equipment, supplies, perhaps satellite imagery as well — all that probably could have happened. But definitely, they (the Chinese) did not play an active role.”

He added, “It is clear there was no direct support from them, but yes, in terms of equipment... Pakistanis don’t have many resources, so they obviously rely on begging or borrowing from Turkey or China.”

On India-China relations, Singh said the two countries must strike a delicate balance — maintaining diplomatic engagement while remaining militarily vigilant. “Trust is low, but we should be cautiously optimistic because they (China) have also shown interest in dialogue as a mode of dispute resolution,” he said, adding that conversations are ongoing at the Special Representative (SR) level. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi are the SRs on either side.

Commenting on the ceasefire process with Pakistan, Singh clarified, “It was Pakistan that capitulated on May 10. They came forward asking for time, seeking talks and eventually requested cessation of hostilities. That sequence should be clear — they were the ones who asked for the ceasefire.”

He noted that transcripts and records of discussions between the two Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMO) are available to support this account.

On Pakistan army chief Filed Marshal Asim Munir’s meeting with US President Donald Trump, Singh remarked, “It must be an embarrassment for any country when the military chief is invited while the Prime Minister is nowhere to be seen. It’s a very strange, structurally imbalanced state.”

Regarding Operation Sindoor, Singh said, “The operation was marked by excellent tri-service synergy and strong coordination with intelligence agencies. We achieved 100 per cent of our objectives.”