China’s Propaganda Machine Spins Misinformation After India Hits Pakistan-based Terror Camps in Operation Sindoor

New Delhi, India - China’s state-controlled media, operating under the tight grip of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has escalated its global disinformation campaign, exploiting international conflicts to propagate false narratives. Following India’s Operation Sindoor—a coordinated military strike targeting nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (Pok)—Chinese media outlets have aggressively pushed false reports to distort facts and discredit India’s counterterrorism operations.

On May 7, 2025, the Indian Armed Forces executed Operation Sindoor in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians, predominantly Hindu tourists. The strike targeted terror camps of Lashkar-e-Taiba (Let) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (Jem), aiming to dismantle their operational capabilities without provoking wider conflict. However, Chinese state media, particularly the Global Times, falsely claimed that Pakistan had successfully downed an Indian military aircraft during the operation. These reports circulated outdated images and fabricated claims, misleading the international community.

On Weibo, a Chinese social media platform known for censorship and state control, prominent military handles such as Chinese Military Bulge, Defence Times, CNR Military, and Governor of Bombay flooded users with false reports of Pakistani jets downing Indian aircraft. Hashtags like #IndiaPakistanConflict and #PakistanShotDownIndianJets trended rapidly, amassing millions of views while amplifying pro-Pakistan narratives. The posts exaggerated Pakistan’s military prowess, lauding the Chinese-made J-10C fighter jets while denigrating Indian Rafale jets, despite the absence of any verified aerial engagements.

India Condemns Chinese Disinformation Strategy

India’s Embassy in Beijing issued a public condemnation of Global Times, labelling the publication’s coverage of Operation Sindoor as a breach of journalistic ethics. The statement urged the Chinese media to fact-check sources and cease propagating misinformation, asserting that such acts not only distort reality but also aggravate regional tensions.

China’s media disinformation tactics have precedent. During the 2017 Doklam standoff, Chinese outlets falsely reported Indian troop incursions and fabricated accounts of border skirmishes to portray India as the aggressor. In the recent Manipur unrest, Chinese-sponsored narratives alleged ethnic suppression and concentration camps in India, while Indian intelligence exposed Chinese-backed terror groups as potential instigators of the violence.

China’s Strategic Alignment With Pakistan: A Political Manoeuvre

China’s consistent defence of Pakistan in international forums, coupled with its extensive military support, underscores a broader strategy to counterbalance India’s regional influence. According to the 2025 SIPRI report, China supplied 81% of Pakistan’s military imports between 2020 and 2024, including JF-17 and J-10C fighter jets, drones, and advanced missile systems.

Following Operation Sindoor, Chinese defence firms experienced notable stock gains, driven by speculation about their equipment’s combat effectiveness, despite the lack of verified engagements. This pattern illustrates how China leverages misinformation to bolster its defence exports, using state-controlled media to create a narrative that serves dual purposes: discrediting India and promoting Chinese military assets.

Global Implications: Distorting Truth and Destabilising South Asia

China’s disinformation campaign surrounding Operation Sindoor exemplifies its broader strategy of manipulating global narratives to advance geopolitical objectives. By aligning its messaging with Pakistan’s interests, China not only undermines India’s counterterrorism operations but also fosters instability in South Asia, complicating regional security dynamics.

India’s response has been firm, exposing the falsifications and countering the propaganda with verified operational reports. However, the CCP’s media apparatus continues to operate unchecked, churning out misleading narratives to serve Beijing’s strategic agenda, from Pakistan’s military capabilities to territorial disputes along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

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