China’s role in Pakistan conflict ‘impossible to ignore’, says Shashi Tharoor amid US visit

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading a parliamentary delegation to the United States, highlighted China’s significant involvement in Pakistan’s military capabilities and regional strategies amid India’s recent Operation Sindoor. He stated that 81 percent of Pakistan’s defence equipment is sourced from China and pointed out the strategic importance of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the largest project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Tharoor addressed representatives of think tanks at the Indian Embassy in Washington DC, emphasizing that “Defence may be the wrong word here. Offence in many ways……China is an absolutely impossible factor to ignore in what has been our confrontation with Pakistan.” He noted that India’s relations with China had shown progress until the recent conflict involving Pakistan, after which China’s support for Islamabad became more evident.

Following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, the UN Security Council issued a press statement condemning the attack in “the strongest terms.” However, the statement did not mention The Resistance Front as the perpetrators after Pakistan, a non-permanent Council member, influenced the removal with China’s support. The statement also stressed the need to hold all responsible parties accountable.

Tharoor further explained that during the conflict, Pakistan deployed Chinese military technology, including an integrated “kill chain” system linking radar, GPS, aircraft, and missiles to react instantly. India responded by adapting its strategies, which enabled strikes on 11 Pakistani airfields and breaching the Chinese-supplied air defence systems. He said, “So it’s clear that assessments were taking place while the fighting was happening, and we were recalibrating our strategies in order to end as effectively as we were able to end.”

Despite the tensions, Tharoor stated that India continues to maintain open channels of communication with China and has focused on development, trade, and growth. He said India’s trade with China remains at record levels and asserted that “we are not adopting a posture of hostility, but we would be naive not to be aware of these other currents around.”`