For the first time, China has confirmed that it provided on-site technical support to Pakistan during the four-day conflict with India last year, official media in China has reported.In the past one year, India has spoken openly about the China-Pakistan collusion on the battlefield.China’s state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday aired an interview with Zhang Heng, an engineer with the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The institute is a key developer of China’s advanced fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle design.Zhang had provided technical support to Pakistan during the four-day conflict last May, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported, quoting CCTV.Pakistan’s Air Force operates a fleet of Chinese-made J-10CE jets, produced by an AVIC subsidiary.“At the support base, we frequently heard the roar of fighter jets taking off and the constant wail of air-raid sirens. By late morning, in May, the temperature was already approaching 50°C. It was a real ordeal for us, both mentally and physically,” Zhang said.What drove his team was the “desire to do an even better job with on-site support” and to ensure their equipment could “truly perform at its full combat potential,” Zhang told CCTV.“That wasn’t just a recognition of the J-10CE; it was also a testament to the deep bond we formed through working side by side, day in and day out,” he said.The Chinese admission comes in the backdrop of India military leadership, in the past, having said openly that China was helping Pakistan sustain the fight in terms of weapons, missiles, satellite imagery and technology.Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, who was the Director General of Military Operations during the clash, was asked yesterday about Turkiye, China or Pakistan colluding again as they did during last year’s skirmish. General Ghai shrugged off the teaming, saying, “Look, you play against the team that turns up on the park. So that’s not something that should worry us so much. It’s not something which is in our control… India and its armed forces are on the path to meeting these challenges.”On Pakistan testing newer Chinese-made missiles, the Deputy Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal AK Bharti, said, “We are ready to tackle the threats.”