In a move that underscores Beijing’s growing assertiveness in South Asia and its unwavering support for Islamabad, China has fast-tracked the delivery of J-35A stealth fighter jets to Pakistan, slashing prices by half and offering lenient payment terms. This landmark military deal, struck days after a border skirmish between India and Pakistan, signals an aggressive deepening of Sino-Pakistani ties—military, economic, and strategic.
The accelerated delivery of 30 fifth-generation fighter jets, ahead of the previously scheduled timeline, was finalized during Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s visit to China. The terms go beyond transactional defence procurement; they represent a potent geopolitical statement. Sources have described the discount as a “reward” for Pakistan’s performance in the India clash—an unmistakable nod from Beijing that it views Pakistan not just as an ally, but as a frontline partner in counterbalancing India.
This deal comes hot on the heels of the IMF disbursing a $1 billion bailout to Pakistan, a move India strongly opposed at the Fund’s board meeting. New Delhi expressed grave concern that the money could be misused to support cross-border terrorism, citing Pakistan’s poor compliance track record with IMF conditionalities. India abstained from voting, warning that continuing to reward states with dubious financial behaviour and hostile intent sends dangerous signals to the international community.
The jet deal and the IMF loan together raise pressing questions. While the IMF claims to be apolitical, the rapid approval of funding amid regional military escalations and Pakistan’s clear pivot towards Chinese defence financing exposes a blind spot. Beijing’s twin push—funding Pakistan’s civil-military infrastructure with a $25 billion pledge under CPEC Phase 2, and supplying elite fighter aircraft—reinforces its strategic ambition to consolidate Pakistan as a satellite security partner.
Notably, these moves come at a time when India is modernising its air power and expanding its strategic partnerships with the West. China’s sharp military-economic overture to Pakistan may be designed to offset this evolving dynamic, projecting power by proxy in South Asia.
China’s diplomatic tone has grown warmer too. Foreign Minister Wang Yi hailed Pakistan as an “ironclad friend,” pledging to support its “sovereignty and territorial integrity”—a veiled signal to New Delhi that Beijing’s backing of Islamabad will not waver. Coupled with denials of direct involvement in the Indo-Pak conflict but tacit endorsement of Pakistan’s actions, the gesture reveals how China is playing a calibrated long game, ensuring plausible deniability while deepening military entanglements.
According to retired Pakistan Air Force Air Commodore Zia Ul Haque Shamshi, the arrival of the J-35A fleet will provide Pakistan with a “12 to 14-year” advantage in stealth-fighter capabilities compared to India’s current air inventory.
“India is not expected to field a fifth-generation combat aircraft during that timeframe, which grants Pakistan a strategic advantage in the region,” he said, emphasizing the operational vacuum India may face.
For India, this marks a red flag. With China supplying Pakistan with cutting-edge aerial platforms and providing economic lifelines via CPEC and IMF shielding, New Delhi faces a two-front challenge—military pressure from the north and strategic encirclement through Pakistan in the west.
In the grand chessboard of Asian geopolitics, China’s latest move signals that it is no longer content playing defence. It is proactively reshaping the power balance by investing in proxies, leveraging global institutions, and testing the fault lines of existing alliances. With the Indian Ocean Region and border areas simmering with contestation, the implications of this axis are far from fleeting—they are foundational shifts in the regional order.
