NEW DELHI: In the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on 22 April 2025, many countries have supported India’s call to end terrorism. However, China has consistently and openly sided with its “iron brother” Pakistan. Despite the positive rhetoric emerging from a few scholars, journalists, and well-wishers in India following an agreement between India and China, President Xi Jinping failed to send even one message of condolence. Meanwhile, Chinese social media and prominent Chinese scholars have supported Pakistan. In addition, they started a misinformation campaign after India launched “Operation Sindoor” on 7 May 2025.
OFFICIAL CHINESE RESPONSE
The official Chinese response to the attack has been limited. In a break from past practices, President Xi Jinping did not send a message of condolences following the Pahalgam massacre. Furthermore, none of China’s official media reported on the terrorist attack. Only a spokesperson from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and China’s Ambassador to India expressed condolences. The spokesperson stated that China condemns the attack, firmly opposes all forms of terrorism, and mourns the lives lost while extending sincere sympathies to the bereaved families and the injured.
THE SCHOLARS SPEAK
Li Sirui, a researcher at Beijing Daily, argued that PM Modi’s government has used Pakistan as a scapegoat to deflect criticism of its Kashmir policy, particularly following the revocation of the region’s special status in 2019.
Hu Shisheng, Director of South Asian Studies at CICIR (under the Ministry of State Security (MoSS), China’s external intelligence establishment), noted that although tensions between India and Pakistan have appeared volatile after the attack, a full-scale war is unlikely due to the risks posed by nuclear weapons and international pressure. He contended that India’s aggressive posture, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, was largely a political response to domestic pressure aimed at bolstering the Modi government’s image.
Lin Minwang (CCP cadre who adheres closely to the Party line), Deputy Director of the Centre for South Asian Studies at Fudan University, went a step further and warned India that before considering military action against Pakistan, it should factor in China’s presence near Kashmir since 2020. This serves as a clear warning to India regarding its military posture.
Thus, authoritative scholars supported Pakistan’s perspective after the terrorist attack, suggesting India’s response was politically motivated rather than focused on security. They believed a full-scale war was improbable due to nuclear risks and international pressure for de-escalation. They emphasized the need to protect the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects and that India is exaggerating cross-border terrorism while neglecting internal issues in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370. While the Chinese scholars and think tankers following the party and national line have taken a clear stance on the India-Pakistan issue, we still have our think tanks meeting them amid a crisis to restart the institutional cooperation between India and China.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Chinese netizens on Weibo expressed scepticism and concern about the potential for full-scale war, pointing out the lack of major Indian military mobilization. Some commenters speculated that India’s actions were politically motivated, while others drew comparisons to fictional war scenarios and questioned India’s strategic capacity. A segment of users called for military retaliation. Additionally, a post from the South Asian Studies Newsletter highlighted Pakistan’s call for a credible and independent investigation into the issue, criticizing India for its confrontational approach and avoidance of such an investigation, which they believe reveals India’s true intentions.
India’s launch of “Operation Sindoor” prompted a misinformation campaign by China and Pakistan, with a Chinese journalist, Shen Shiwei, falsely claiming that Pakistan shot down multiple Indian jets. Posts circulated on Chinese social media reported exaggerated claims of downed Indian drones and aircraft by Pakistan. This campaign aims to undermine India’s narrative of targeting only terrorist bases and not civilians, potentially affecting India’s international image. Social media is also flooded with false news originating from Pakistan that about 50 Indian soldiers were killed on the Line of Actual Control between India and Pakistan in the Kashmir region.
An article on Baidu said that Pakistan shot down 12 Indian drones, five Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales, one Mig and one Su-30. The Chinese have said that Pakistan locked India’s Rafale using the Chinese Hong Qi-9 technique. The same posts have been circulating on Chinese social media and have also been posted on X to spread the misinformation campaign. Unfortunately, they have been fuelled by many Indians sharing the same, and one such post was posted on India’s leading daily, The Hindu.
Chinese social media is promoting the narrative that India is bombing major Pakistani cities like Lahore and Karachi, a claim that is also being echoed by Indian news channels. This effort seems designed to undermine India’s restrained approach, which has focused on targeting terrorist bases rather than civilians. Contrary to Chinese misinformation and propaganda that India attacked Lahore, Rawalpindi and Sialkot in retaliation for Pakistan’s failed attempt to attack 15 Indian cities the night of 7-8 May. India destroyed the HQ-9 China-made Air Defence Systems supplied to Pakistan. In response to reports questioning the effectiveness of its anti-drone systems during India’s recent actions against Pakistan, Chinese state media outlet CCTV has published a video in defence of its technology. The post on Weibo also highlighted Pakistan’s assertion that it had downed 77 Indian drones, including the hashtag “#Pakistan claims to have destroyed 77 Indian drones.”
The Chinese state has taken a definitive stance, moving away from the pretence of neutrality that characterized Xi Jinping’s claims of being a global peacemaker. A key question to consider is whether China, as in the past, will limit itself to information warfare against India or if it will actively support Pakistan if tensions escalate further. Will China maintain the same unwavering support it provided to Russia despite opposition from the West? In the case of Russia, there was some internal criticism regarding China’s support. For example, on 26 February 2022, five Chinese professors from prominent universities issued a statement protesting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While censors quickly deleted this statement, it circulated among academics as a petition. On 3 March 2022, over 200 alumni from Tsinghua University, mostly based in China, sent an open letter urging the university to revoke the honorary doctorate awarded to Putin in 2019. However, there has not been similar opposition in China regarding its support for Pakistan. This raises the question of whether China’s support for Pakistan will continue in the form of weapon supplies, as it is already doing. Alternatively, there is the possibility, as suggested by Lin Minwang, that China might intervene directly in the conflict.
Namrata Hasija, Research Fellow, CCAS.