China’s defense revolution: Lessons from the India-Pakistan conflict

By Ché Marino

The recent India-Pakistan conflict of May 2025 has profoundly reshaped global perceptions of military power and technological dominance. Pakistan’s decisive air superiority, achieved using Chinese-made military systems, challenged the long-standing belief in the supremacy of Western military technology.

This conflict showcased not only the effectiveness of Chinese defense systems but also the efficiency of China’s innovation model, which has rapidly outperformed Western capitalism in critical technological sectors.

India’s reliance on Western weapons vs. Pakistan’s Chinese systems

During the conflict, India relied on expensive Western-made hardware, including the highly touted French Rafale jets priced at $285 million each. These systems, though designed for superiority, proved inadequate against Pakistan’s more cost-effective but highly advanced Chinese-made J-10CE fighter jets, priced at just $70 million apiece. Backed by China’s integrated warfighting ecosystem — real-time satellite intelligence, networked air defense systems and advanced electronic countermeasures — Pakistan’s forces demonstrated superior coordination and combat capability.

China’s PL-15E missile, a cutting-edge air-to-air weapon, further highlighted the technological gap. Built in fully automated factories, these missiles are far cheaper than their Western counterparts and outperformed them in the battlefield. During the conflict, Pakistan shot down multiple Indian aircraft, including three Rafales, before they could even enter Pakistani airspace, according to France24 News. (tinyurl.com/2n8wdrfu) This decisive victory exposed the inefficiency of Western arms systems, which cost exponentially more but failed to deliver better results.

This stark contrast has raised questions about the value of Western military hardware, particularly among U.S.-aligned nations that are often coerced into purchasing overpriced and underperforming systems. The India-Pakistan conflict has demonstrated that China’s military technology not only competes with but often surpasses Western systems in performance, cost-efficiency and battlefield effectiveness.

China’s socialist model drives military innovation

China’s ability to develop superior military systems at a fraction of the cost stems from its unique socialist innovation model, which prioritizes long-term planning, state investment and collective progress over profit-driven motives. Over the past 70 years, China has transformed from one of the poorest nations in the world into a global leader in technology. This progress is not limited to military advancements; China now leads in critical sectors such as solar panels, electric vehicles, artificial intelligence and green energy.

A striking example of China’s innovation model is the success of the AI startup Deep Seek. The company’s R1 large language model outperformed Western counterparts like OpenAI’s ChatGPT at a fraction of the cost and energy consumption. Despite U.S. efforts to restrict China’s access to advanced technologies, such as export controls and market restrictions, China has surged ahead. According to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Critical Technology Tracker, China now leads in 57 out of 64 critical technologies, up from just three two decades ago. (aspi.org.au)

This success is rooted in a state-driven approach to industrial innovation. President Xi Jinping has emphasized fostering disruptive and cutting-edge technologies as part of China’s broader goal of promoting high-quality development. By contrast, Western capitalist systems, dominated by short-term profit motives, are failing to match China’s pace of innovation. The results of this divergence are becoming increasingly evident on the battlefield, as seen in the India-Pakistan conflict.

The U.S. war economy: inefficiency and coercion

The India-Pakistan conflict also highlights the inefficiency of the U.S. military-industrial complex, which operates as a war economy reliant on arms sales to puppet regimes and proxy states. These nations are often coerced into buying overpriced and inferior U.S. weapons, undermining their defense capabilities. By comparison, China offers cost-effective and technologically advanced systems that enable nations like Pakistan to achieve military parity — or even superiority — against better-funded adversaries reliant on Western arms.

The contradictions within the U.S. war economy are becoming increasingly apparent. While the U.S. spends trillions on its military — more than the next 10 countries combined — China achieves superior results with a defense budget less than one-third the size. In 2022, for example, the U.S. spent $877 billion on its military compared to China’s $293 billion. Yet, China’s efficient manufacturing industry and larger purchasing power parity (PPP) allow it to produce more effective weapons at a fraction of the cost.

As more nations observe the success of Chinese systems, they may begin to reconsider their reliance on Western arms. However, many are trapped in unequal economic and political relationships with the U.S., which uses its influence to maintain control over global arms markets. These contradictions will only deepen as China continues to demonstrate the superiority of its systems.

Broader implications: A shift in global power dynamics

The India-Pakistan conflict is not an isolated case but part of a broader trend in which China’s military advancements are reshaping global power dynamics. By providing cost-effective, advanced military technology to nations like Pakistan, China is enabling other countries to resist U.S. aggression and chart independent paths. This marks a significant departure from the U.S.’s traditional strategy of military dominance and coercion.

China’s rise as a military power is not about seeking global hegemony but creating a deterrent against imperialism. Its focus on sustainable and efficient defense systems reflects a broader commitment to high-quality development that prioritizes the welfare of its people and the stability of the global order. This approach contrasts sharply with the U.S., where military spending takes precedence over social investment, leaving critical sectors like health care, education and infrastructure underfunded.

People in the U.S. must rethink priorities

People in the U.S. must ask themselves: Is endless militarization worth it? While the U.S. government spends trillions encircling China and waging wars, what do we gain in return? That money could have been spent on universal health care, debt-free education, affordable housing and rebuilding crumbling infrastructure. Instead, it is funneled into a military-industrial complex that prioritizes corporate profits over the welfare of its citizens.

Meanwhile, China, spending a fraction of what the U.S. does on defense, achieves superior results while investing in its people. The India-Pakistan conflict has made it clear: the days of unquestioned U.S. military domination are coming to an end — not because of Chinese aggression but because of U.S. inefficiency and overreach. China’s rise is creating a more balanced global order, where nations can defend themselves against imperialism without sacrificing economic and social development.

The contradictions within the U.S. war economy are becoming impossible to ignore. Proxy states and puppet regimes will not tolerate being forced to purchase overpriced, ineffective weapons forever. As China continues to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness and reliability of its systems, the U.S.’s grip on global arms markets will weaken. The era of Western imperialism is fading.

People in the U.S. must decide whether to continue supporting a failing empire or to demand a government that prioritizes their wellbeing over endless wars. The choice is clear, but the time to act is running out.