India, Pak clash, but China grabs the bragging rights

The clash was between India and Pakistan – but it was Chinese nationalists who were celebrating with zest last week, though their forces were not directly involved in the action.

Normally, chest-thumping posts by nationalist trolls don’t deserve much attention – regardless of the country. They’re usually driven more by emotion than facts, and often amplified by those with little understanding of technology.

But in China, where the Communist Party keeps a tight grip on social media, even patriotic chatter is closely monitored and swiftly shut down at times. This time, however, online celebrations that erupted after reported downing of India’s prized Rafale jets went unchecked, indicating that Beijing was giving it silent approval.

As the fog of war still hangs over the actual events, claims and counterclaims will continue for a while. It is likely that it will take years before we get a clearer picture of events – if ever. If you have any doubts, remember they are still debating things that happened during the Vietnam War half a century ago.

Despite that, what has become clear is that armed clashes are now a test of technological superiority. As the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war shows, even a large traditional army can get bogged down, as drones, signal jamming, and electronic warfare are now accessible to lesser-known forces. Even non-state actors like the Houthis have leveraged accessible tech to punch above their weight.

As bytes start replacing bullets, the chatter about Chinese equipment should come as an unexpected boost for Beijing as it stakes claim as a technology leader. Coming soon after DeepSeek jolted the artificial intelligence world, the emerging evidence of Chinese military muscle should rattle a few nations.

Tech muscle

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the global arms market has been dominated by the West. It was their weapons and technology that set global standards. Countries looking to bolster their defence had to go shopping in the US or Europe to acquire cutting-edge technology.

Despite China’s advancements in areas like smartphones, EVs, solar power, and heavy machinery, its defence industry had yet to make a similar impact, as it was hardly battle-tested. Despite this, allies like Pakistan still bought arms from them, and according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, China accounted for nearly 82 percent of Pakistan’s arms imports between 2019 and 2023.

As Pakistan’s defence forces are effectively a showroom for Chinese missiles, jets, and electronic surveillance, the latest clash was the first real outing for Beijing weapons as until now, all they had to show was shooting missiles into the empty sea near Taiwan.

Rafale Claims

The most eye-catching of the Pakistani claims have been about the downing of French Rafale jets, which are considered the gold standard among Nato-aligned countries. India has neither confirmed nor denied the loss of jets.

If Pakistan’s claims turn out to be true, this would be a setback for Rafale’s makers, as this 4.5-generation French aircraft is considered a symbol of Western dominance – and that could shift the current global arms status quo.

This is especially relevant for China’s neighbours, most of whom have boundary disputes with Beijing and have been buying arms from the West for protection. Taiwan, which is most at risk from Beijing’s expansionist plans, would be feeling particularly nervous, as it relies on the United States and its allies to prevent a Chinese invasion.

“Pakistan, with China’s support, executed a full-spectrum combat operation involving airborne early warning systems like the KJ-500, ground-based radars, and digital command networks that relayed target data to fighter jets,” said Shu Hsiao-huang, a senior analyst at Taiwan’s government-funded Institute for National Defence and Security Research.

That architecture allowed Pakistan’s J-10Cs to launch PL-15E missiles without turning on their own radars – known as “sensor-shooter separation” – allowing the Pakistani jets to minimise their exposure while maximising their first-strike ability. It’s not just about the missile, it’s about the network behind the missile, Shu said.

Widespread Worry

This potential effectiveness of Chinese systems represents an immediate strategic concern for all of China’s neighbours, including India. The Indian Air Force’s acquisition of Rafale fighters was intended to establish air superiority against both Pakistan and China. If such Western arms systems are fallible, countries like India, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines face difficult questions about their air defence strategy and procurement priorities.

Reports from Indonesia say a debate has already started there about the wisdom of proceeding with Rafale jet purchases, as the country was planning to acquire 42 of them in the near future.

It is against such a backdrop that Chinese patriotic trolls went on a celebration spree, seeing Pakistani claims as proof that the Chinese military is now on par with the West.

An article in The Diplomat magazine said the Chinese J-10C and JF-17 jets are likely to gain market traction, as Beijing does not tie arms sales to thorny issues like human rights and democracy, unlike the West. That would mark the realisation of Chinese ambitions that began in 1998, when it unveiled the fourth-generation J-10 indigenous jets and aimed to be an alternative for nations seeking modern jets not made in the West.

Electronic Warfare

More than the jets and missiles, what will make Chinese arms more attractive is the electronic warfare (EW) that accompanies them.

Unlike traditional air combat of the past – where a single jet handled detection and missile guidance – the modern approach uses real-time data. First, ground systems lock onto targets; then patrol jets launch missiles from safe distances; and airborne warning and control systems (Awacs) guide the ordnance to its mark.

A report in China Space News said Pakistan used “ABC (locked by A, launched by B, guided by C)” strategy using Chinese equipment. The Pakistani forces, meanwhile, claimed they were able to hack into the communication network of Indian jets and even played an audio recording as proof.

Indian defence analyst Pravin Sawhney said in a social media post that such capabilities are critical. If these claims prove true, it could make China a particularly fierce adversary. The implications of that would raise concern in countries like Japan and South Korea as well as Beijing is the arms supplier to the North Korea also.

Beijing has sold only 4.5-generation jets to Pakistan so far, though its fifth-generation and stealth models have made appearances at Chinese air shows. Defence analysts will now be watching these more closely to assess their real potential, as there is a growing sense that technical superiority is no longer the West’s monopoly.

The battlefield claims may not be universally verifiable, but the attention Chinese arms are receiving is an indicator of tectonic changes taking place in the tech world, despite the crude patriotic jingoism accompanying it.

Maharashtra shows the way forward

In what could serve as a model for every state, Maharashtra has roped in Mercedes-Benz India and the SaveLIFE Foundation to try and reduce road accidents with the help of technology. The project aims to cut accident-related deaths through the “Four Es” of road safety: Engineering, Enforcement, Emergency Care, and Education, reports CNBC. The luxury carmaker is lending support through its CSR initiative, and the drive includes speed detection cameras, reflective signage, lane guidance, and the installation of Vehicle Actuated Speed Signs. Over 70 officers have also received specialised training, and digital campaigns are being organised to educate the public about road safety.

Kerala has also installed over 700 AI cameras in different cities to tackle traffic issues. But according to Manorama Online, while the death toll has dropped, the number of accidents continues to climb. The report states there were over 900 more accidents in 2024 compared to the previous year. One area that has improved is the number of fines issued by the police, as Kerala Kaumudi reports. It says penalty tickets worth 631 crore rupees have been issued since the cameras started operating in June 2023 – but of that, only 400 crore rupees have been collected.

Kerala schools to teach robotics

Kerala has scored another first in the education sector – this time by making robotics part of the school curriculum and becoming the first state in India to do so. Robotics will be mandatory for all 4.3 lakh Class 10 students, starting from the upcoming 2025 academic year. In addition to theory, students will learn circuit construction, work with sensors and actuators, and learn how to control electronic devices through computer programming. Anvar Sadath, CEO of Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) – the technology wing of the Kerala General Education Department – says 29,000 robotic kits have been distributed to high schools across Kerala.

Saudi patients get an AI doc

Saudi Arabia's AlMoosa Health Group has launched a clinic where AI will diagnose patients with chest ailments. The patients who come to the clinic, describe their symptoms via a tablet computer to an AI “doctor” who will make diagnoses and issue prescriptions. The processwill be overseen by a real doctor in the pilot project. The technology is provided by Synyi AI, a Shanghai-based company. The Saudi company plans to expand the list to cover 50 respiratory, gastroenterological, and dermatological diseases over the coming year and plans to roll out more AI clinics across Saudi Arabia as part of a wider regional expansion, reports the Gulf News.

Chatbots get own space

Coworking spaces are popping up on every street corner, and so Brooklyn artist Nim Ben-Reuven also opened one. But this is not for mortals like you and me, but for AI chatbots. Chat Haus is like a perfectly normal-looking co-working space where people hunch over keyboards, sip coffee, and are on the phone, except everyone and everything is made of cardboard. Yes, even the ever present annoyingly loud guy on the phone. Ben-Reuven tells TechCrunch he created the installation to inject some humour (and maybe a little existential dread) into the reality as  most of his work – in graphic design and videography – is slowly being swallowed by the AI tide. So, if you can’t beat the bots, at least give them some cardboard-flavoured coffee.