Chinese media front-loads Pakistani military claims and civilian casualties

Xinhua’s coverage centers around Pakistan’s version of events.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua has prominently highlighted Pakistan’s claims, reporting that multiple Indian fighter jets were shot down and civilians killed in missile strikes carried out by India early on May 7.

The agency cited unnamed military sources in Pakistan who claimed that at least eight people were killed and 35 injured, with two persons missing following India’s strikes across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The report also stated that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down up to five Indian jets and destroyed four Indian quadcopters for airspace violations – an assertion not independently verified and not acknowledged by Indian authorities.

“The Pakistan Air Force has shot down another Indian jet in response to Indian missile strikes at six locations in Pakistan,” Xinhua quoted Pakistani military sources as saying.

The airstrikes, under Operation Sindoor, were carried out by India in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed. The defence ministry said the strikes were “focused, measured and non-escalatory”, deliberately avoiding Pakistani military infrastructure.

“Altogether, nine (9) sites have been targeted… No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted,” the ministry said.

“India has demonstrated considerable restraint… These steps come in the wake of the barbaric Pahalgam terrorist attack… We are living up to the commitment that those responsible will be held accountable.”

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While India has framed the strikes as a counter-terrorism measure, Xinhua’s coverage centres around Pakistan’s version of events.

“The Indian Air Force has violated Pakistan's sovereignty using standoff weapons, targeting civilian population across the international border,” Pakistani foreign office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

This reporting comes amid increasing strategic cooperation between Beijing and Islamabad, particularly in military and regional security matters.

While no official statement has been issued by the Chinese foreign ministry, Xinhua’s framing is consistent with Beijing’s broader diplomatic positioning in South Asia — one that often mirrors Pakistan’s narrative in moments of bilateral tension with India. There is absence of India’s justification in Chinese state media.