China Behind The Curtain: How Pakistan Was Secretly Guided Against India During Operation Sindoor | World News

Washington: A recent US Department of Defense investigation claims that China provided critical support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. The report states that Beijing indirectly influences the battlefield by helping Islamabad with intelligence sharing and information warfare.

US analysts say Pakistan is directly confronting India, but China is operating behind the scenes, coordinating cyber activities, intelligence support and diplomatic maneuvers to strengthen Pakistan’s campaign. Chinese satellite coverage and electronic surveillance have reportedly increased Pakistan’s real-time tracking and targeting capabilities.

The report states that Beijing and Islamabad are currently working on a coordinated “gray zone strategy” to pressure India without triggering a full-scale war. This approach involves sustained pressure through military, cyber, information and diplomatic channels. According to the report, Operation Sindoor served as a key test of this evolving strategy, in which Pakistan intervened openly and China maintained indirect influence.

China’s Role in Operation Sindoor

The US assessment report highlights that Pakistan conducts kinetic and proxy operations at the ground level; China, on the other hand, has influenced the battlefield through information warfare, cyber activity, intelligence cooperation and diplomatic measures. China’s satellite coverage and electronic surveillance have improved Pakistan’s operational coordination and targeting. It is noteworthy that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was not directly present, allowing China to influence the operation while avoiding direct conflict.

This indirect interference allows China to maintain plausible deniability, the report notes. The international community began to examine the conflict; China has used controlled diplomatic messaging and online information campaigns to strengthen Pakistan’s narrative, dilute India’s claims, and slow the emergence of international consensus in India’s favor.

India Seen as a Strategic Challenge by China

The US assessment suggests that Chinese military planners view India as a major long-term strategic challenge, even as Beijing remains focused on the US-Taiwan theatre.

The report suggests that India is being positioned as a “containment target”, particularly along the Himalayan border and the Indian Ocean region, where China is trying to limit India’s strategic rise. Information warfare, presence at sea and regional partnerships stand out as the basic components of this approach.

In this context, Pakistan has become a very important instrument for China. The US report describes Islamabad as a “pressure valve” used to strategically attack India, slow India-US defense cooperation and test hybrid warfare models at low cost. It also notes that the October 2024 disengagement agreement between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is not just a de-escalation measure but also a strategic move to maintain temporary stability on China’s western border while restricting India’s closer alignment with Washington.

The report lays out a new model of hybrid indirect warfare in which China uses allied proxies and information operations to shift the regional balance of power.