A military exercise aimed at terrorism can carry a message far beyond the training ground. Karakoram 2026, the nine-day Pakistan-China army exercise that ended in Xinjiang on October 22, has come at a time when India continues to describe Operation Sindoor as paused rather than over. The important question is not whether these exercises are directed at India. Officially, they are not. It is what they tell the region about Pakistan's military preparedness, China's stake in Pakistan's security and the cost of another confrontation.

The May 2025 clash changed the terms of that discussion. Pakistan's air response showed what years of military cooperation with China had produced. Reuters, citing US officials, reported that Chinese-made J-10 fighters brought down at least two Indian aircraft, including a Rafale. Later reporting pointed to Pakistan's effective use of long-range missiles, airborne surveillance and connected command systems, as well as Indian misjudgements about missile range. The exact number of aircraft lost remains contested. But Pakistan's performance in the opening air battle cannot be dismissed as a mere claim.

This is where Pakistan's long defence relationship with China matters. The two countries have not simply bought and sold weapons. They have cooperated on technology, training and production, most visibly through the........

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