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

According to a US report, during Operation Sindoor, Pakistan carried out visible ground-level attacks, while China provided indirect but decisive support through cyber operations, intelligence sharing and diplomatic maneuvers.

Washington: A recent study from the US Department of Defense claims that during Operation Sindoor, China provided critical support to Pakistan. The report states that Beijing helped Islamabad with intelligence sharing and information warfare, influencing the battlefield indirectly.

US analysts say that while Pakistan faced India directly, China operated behind the scenes, coordinating cyber activity, intelligence support and diplomatic maneuvers to strengthen Pakistan’s campaign. Chinese satellite coverage and electronic surveillance reportedly enhanced Pakistan’s real-time monitoring and targeting capabilities.

The report states that Beijing and Islamabad are now working on a coordinated “grey-zone strategy” to pressure India without triggering 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, with Pakistan engaging openly while China maintained indirect influence.

China’s Role In Operation Sindoor

The US assessment report emphasises that Pakistan executed ground-level kinetic and proxy operations; whereas, China influenced the battlefield through information warfare, cyber activity, intelligence cooperation and diplomatic measures. Chinese satellite coverage and electronic surveillance improved Pakistan’s operational coordination and targeting. It is worth noticing that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was not directly present, allowing China to influence the operation while avoiding direct confrontation.

The report goes on to state that this indirect involvement enabled China to maintain plausible deniability. The international community began scrutinising the conflict, China used controlled diplomatic messaging and online information campaigns to amplify Pakistan’s narrative, dilute Indian claims and slow the formation of international consensus in India’s favour.

India Seen As Strategic Challenge By China

The US assessment indicates that Chinese military planners view India as a major long-term strategic challenge, even though Beijing is focussed on the US-Taiwan theatre.

The report suggests that India is being positioned as a “containment target”, particularly along the Himalayan frontier and the Indian Ocean region, where China seeks to limit India’s strategic rise. Information warfare, maritime presence and regional partnerships are highlighted as key components of this approach.

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

The report reveals a new hybrid model of indirect warfare where China uses allied proxies and information operations to change the regional balance of power.