China rejects claims that it sent military aircraft with arms to Pakistan

The Chinese military on Sunday rejected claims that its largest transport aircraft had delivered weapons to Pakistan amid Islamabad’s tensions with New Delhi, PTI reported.

The People’s Liberation Army Air Force issued a statement denying claims made by social media users that China’s Xi'an Y-20 strategic transport aircraft had delivered supplies to Pakistan.

The Chinese military claimed that the information was “false”, state-run Global Times reported.

It also warned social media users of legal action for spreading false information.

“The internet is not beyond the law,” state-run newspaper China Daily quoted the statement as saying. “Those who produce and spread military-related rumours will be held legally responsible!”

The Chinese Air Force shared screenshots of social media posts making the claim, each marked with the word “rumour” in red, reported China Daily.

The denial by China came a day after India and Pakistan agreed to stop firing after a four-day conflict.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research, China was Pakistan’s largest arms supplier between 2020 and 2024, accounting for 81% of the total weapons imports. The procurement included jet fighters, radars, naval ships, submarines and missiles.

Pakistan and China jointly produce the JF-17 fighter jet, a key aircraft of the Pakistani Air Force.

The tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad escalated on May 7 when the Indian military carried out strikes – codenamed Operation Sindoor – on what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The strikes were in response to the...

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