New Delhi: In a high-profile visit underscoring the evolving security dynamics of South Asia, Pakistan Air Force chief, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu held extensive talks with his Chinese counterpart, Lieutenant General Wang Gang, Chief of Staff of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, in Islamabad this week.

The meeting signals a deepening of the military partnership between the two countries, particularly in the wake of recent hostilities between Pakistan and India.

According to the official ISPR statement, the two air chiefs discussed regional security, operational synergy, and avenues for enhanced cooperation in training and technology.

Lt Gen. Wang Gang praised the PAF’s “exemplary performance” during the recent conflict with India, describing it as a “textbook example of precision, discipline, and courage in the face of unprovoked aggression.” He expressed particular interest in PAF’s integration of multi-domain operations, calling it a hallmark of modern air warfare and stating that the PLAAF was keen to learn from Pakistan’s “battle-proven experience”.

Air Chief Marshal Sidhu reaffirmed the “strong bond of friendship” between the two air forces, rooted in “mutual trust, strategic convergence, and shared aspirations for regional peace and stability.” The ISPR highlighted that the meeting stands as a testament to the shared resolve to advance the strategic partnership through innovation-driven collaboration.

The Islamabad meeting follows Air Chief Marshal Sidhu’s landmark visit to Washington, D.C., earlier this month, the first by a serving PAF chief in over a decade.

In meetings at the Pentagon, State Department and Capitol Hill, Sidhu discussed bilateral defence cooperation, technology exchange and the potential acquisition of advanced AIM-120D air-to-air missiles for Pakistan’s F-16 fleet. These discussions reflect Pakistan’s urgent push for modernisation in the wake of vulnerabilities exposed during Operation Sindoor, and signal Islamabad’s intent to balance its strategic partnerships with both China and the United States.

The meeting comes just two months after Operation Sindoor, a brief conflict between India and Pakistan, where PAF claimed to have downed several advanced Indian Rafale jets, by possibly using Chinese-supplied J-10C fighters and PL-15 missiles. India’s Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Rahul Singh alleged that China provided Islamabad with “live inputs” and “all possible support” during the conflict, a claim both Pakistan and China have officially denied.

The deepening Pakistan-China air force ties, especially after the recent conflict, have significant implications for India’s security calculus and regional stability. Indian military leaders have already voiced concerns over the prospect of increased Chinese support to Pakistan’s airpower.

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