Chinese Expert Dismisses Indian Air Force’s Wild Claims as “Self-Amusement”

A senior Chinese researcher is pushing back against the Indian Air Force Chief’s recent statements about the May conflict between India and Pakistan. According to Professor Cheng Xizhong of the Charhar Institute, the claim that the Indian Air Force shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one large military aircraft during “Operation Sindoor” is completely unfounded.

Professor Cheng argues that in any such situation, solid proof is essential. He points out that India has not provided a single piece of evidence to back up its claims—no photos of wreckage, no radar data, nothing. This is in stark contrast to Pakistan, which has already given international media detailed technical reports and other evidence to support its claims of shooting down Indian jets.

Because of this lack of evidence, Professor Cheng finds the Indian Air Chief’s remarks to be “comical, implausible, and unconvincing.” He went on to describe the statement as little more than “self-amusement.”

It’s been over three months since the clash ended, and India has yet to produce any evidence. During this same time, the Pakistani side immediately released a thorough technical report to the media. Furthermore, there have been reports from world leaders, high-ranking Indian politicians, and foreign intelligence agencies that India suffered significant aircraft losses.

This all points to one conclusion for Professor Cheng: no Pakistani aircraft was hit or destroyed by India. Instead, he believes the facts show that Pakistan successfully shot down six Indian fighter jets and took out India’s S-400 air defense positions, among other things. He says these are “indisputable facts.”