Why China engages in diplomacy of silence on Pakistan

India Today

2 days ago

Beijing recently declined to comment on the performance of Chinese missiles used by Pakistan in the recent conflict with India. This may seem like a routine diplomatic brush-off, but the silence speaks volumes.According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China is the world's fourth-largest arms exporter, and publicly acknowledging the substandard performance of Chinese weapon systems might have affected China's growing defence export ambitions, particularly in western Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia.advertisementThough widely known, any public acknowledgement of arms supplies to Pakistan could have also drawn criticism from India and international watchdogs, for "indirectly" fuelling conflict in South Asia by strengthening Islamabad.
Notably, Pakistan is among China's oldest and most consistent arms clients, with strategic cooperation between the two deepening after the Sino-Indian war of 1962. According to SIPRI data, over 81% of Pakistan's arms imports between 2020 and 2024 came from China.During the recent military conflict between India and Pakistan, the latter deployed a slew of Chinese weapons, such as the HQ-9 and HQ-16 air defence systems, PL-15E long-range air-to-air missiles, J-10CE and JF-17 fighter jets, among others.But now India is calling out this military nexus on global platforms. During India's diplomatic outreach to key international partners, which included UN Security Council members, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, part of a delegation to the Americas, took this up in Bogota, Colombia.advertisement"Defence is a polite word. Much of it is not for defence but for attack," said Tharoor, referring to Chinese arms supplied to Pakistan.Beijing has always been an impudent, assertive neighbour — one which refuses to acknowledge responsibility or comment on arms supplies to Pakistan, even as it continues open and unrepentant defence dealings with Islamabad.Beijing's diplomacy of silence on the issue is a bid to portray its multiple roles: that of a military supplier, a so-called neutral diplomatic voice on paper, and a dominant regional player in the Asia-Pacific region.Despite being described as Islamabad's "all-weather friend", Beijing has historically avoided overtly backing Pakistan during escalations with India. In fact, it has only issued direct warnings once — in the 1965 India-Pakistan War, (on September 16, 1965), when it threatened India to dismantle all military installations on or over the China-Sikkim boundary within three days or face "serious consequences", The Indian Express reported, quoting documents accessed from the United States State Department archives and declassified Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) files.During the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, China took a more cautious line, calling the "happenings in Pakistan" an internal matter that should be resolved by the Pakistani people, without foreign interference.advertisementDuring the 1999 Kargil War, China urged restraint from both India and Pakistan, and avoided blaming either party — a stance well-documented by many defence analysts.The latest example of this diplomacy of silence came during the monthly defence ministry media briefing that was held in the last week of May 2025, when Chinese defence ministry spokesperson Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang played down the reports of India recovering an unexploded PL-15E, a radar-guided beyond visual range missile, stated to be the most advanced rocket of its kind produced by China.Xiaogang merely commented that the missiles in question were "export equipment" that had been "displayed at exhibitions globally". He added, "India and Pakistan are neighbours that cannot be moved away", and urged both sides to exercise "calm and restraint".Notably, he reiterated China's willingness to play a "constructive role" in preserving regional peace — a language mirroring Beijing's official stance during previous Indo-Pakistani tensions in 1971 and 1999.Now, Beijing is neither confirming nor denying such claims about its defence systems during the latest India-Pakistan clash.There are many layers to this silence.Defence expert Major General Yash Mor (Retired) says, "China has long described its relationship with Pakistan as 'higher than mountains, deeper than seas, and sweeter than honey'. Meanwhile, deep-seated distrust issues also persist between India and China, particularly in the aftermath of the Doklam standoff of 2017 and the Galwan clashes of 2020-2021. And China's cartographic assertions, such as its claims over parts of Arunachal Pradesh, underscore ongoing tensions. But there were de-escalations at the LAC at the same time."advertisement"One must note that China does not actively position itself against India on matters like cross-border terrorism or India-Pakistan relations. However, Beijing was displeased with India's abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. India's opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passing through POK has also caused some friction — though India's opposition was limited to formal protests only," Major General Yash Mor (Retired) tells India Today Digital.But the idea behind the silence, as many experts agree, may be its commercial interests."China prefers to operate quietly, focusing on building alliances rather than making grandiose statements. The Chinese leadership maintains a measured and restrained approach, rarely issuing public remarks. Its state-controlled media offer little insight, and when statements do emerge, they typically pertain to dealings with the US or QUAD-related matters. As part of its broader strategic relationships, China supplies weapons to several countries, including Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. However, its primary objective remains trade, not arming nations to escalate conflict, as the US and Russia did during the Cold War," Major General Yash Mor (Retired) explains.advertisementThe strategic silence has helped Beijing maintain diplomatic channels with India despite tensions, and has allowed it to avoid direct entanglement in South Asia's most volatile border dispute between two nuclear powers.At the same time, for the nations beyond its neighbourhood, China has repeatedly portrayed its image of a peace-loving and responsible power.Chinese diplomat Zhang Heqing, citing foreign minister Wang Yi, echoed the same."According to Wang Yi, on the issue of peace and security, China is the major country with the best record in the world. Since the founding of New China, it has never initiated a war or participated in a war of aggression. It has always been a firm defender of world peace," Heqing wrote on X, in 2024.China's long-maintained measured stance reinforces its strategy of ambiguity and distance — designed more to preserve influence than to take sides.Moreover, with India emerging as a key player in the Indo-Pacific region and a member of the Quad alliance, China is cautious not to provoke further alignment between New Delhi and the West.advertisementPakistan is armed by China, but not always politically shielded by it during India-Pakistan military escalations. The partnership seemingly operates in a grey area — legal, yet behind the scenes.While it may not have the image of a peacemaker in New Delhi and the West, it's definitely a pacemaker for a rogue state like Pakistan, and keeps the pot hot, if not boiling, in South Asia.Through its diplomacy of silence, it plays the main power broker in South Asia.Tune InTrending Reel