Pak-China Report Undermines Trump, hails China in Sindoor Conflict

A contentious report by the Islamabad-based Pakistan-China Institute, titled "16 Hours that Reshaped South Asia," has dealt a blow to the United States and President Donald Trump's global reputation, portraying Washington as strategically and technologically outmaneuvered by China during the May 2025 Pakistan-India conflict.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

While primarily targeting India's alleged 'shortcomings,' the report indirectly undermines U.S. credibility and, separately, perhaps unintentionally, confirms that it was Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) who initiated contact for the ceasefire to stop Operation Sindoor with his Indian counterpart—settling a hotly debated issue.

The report highlights five key points that damage Washington's image at a global level and Trump's perception at a personal level.

First, it claims the U.S. strategy to counter China in the Indo-Pacific was weakened by Trump's mediation efforts, which treated Pakistan and India as equals and offered to mediate on Kashmir. This neutral stance, the report has stated, elevated China's role as a regional stabilizer, 'showing' Trump's administration failed to maintain what it calls U.S. dominance in South Asia.

Second, the report asserts that the U.S. and NATO must reassess their assumptions about the 'technological gap with China,' as Chinese military systems—used effectively by Pakistan—outperformed Western technology. The report has stated that Washington underestimated China's advancements, thereby tarnishing its reputation as a leader in military innovation.