China Launched a Misinformation Campaign Following the Pahalgam Attack

In the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on 22 April 2025, many countries supported India's call to end terrorism.

- NAMRATA HASIJA

However, China consistently and openly sided with its "iron brother" Pakistan. Despite the positive rhetoric from some scholars, journalists, and well-wishers in India following an agreement between India and China, President Xi Jinping failed to send even one message of condolence. Meanwhile, Chinese social media and prominent Chinese scholars supported Pakistan. In addition, they started a misinformation campaign after India launched "Operation Sindoor" on 7 May 2025.

OFFICIAL CHINESE RESPONSE

The official Chinese response to the attack was limited. President Xi Jinping did not send a message of condolences following the Pahalgam massacre. None of China's official media reported on the terrorist attack. Only a spokesperson from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and China's Ambassador to India expressed condolences. The spokesperson stated that China condemns the attack, firmly opposes all forms of terrorism, and mourns the lives lost while extending sincere sympathies to the bereaved families and the injured.

THE SCHOLARS SPEAK

Li Sirui, a researcher at Beijing Daily, argued that PM Modi's government used Pakistan as a scapegoat to deflect criticism of its Kashmir policy, particularly following the revocation of the region's special status in 2019.

Hu Shisheng, Director of South Asian Studies at CICIR (under the Ministry of State Security (MoSS), China's external intelligence establishment), noted that although tensions between India and Pakistan appeared volatile after the attack, a full-scale war was unlikely due to the risks posed by nuclear weapons and international pressure. He contended that India's aggressive posture, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, was largely a political response to domestic pressure aimed at bolstering the Modi government's image.