Chinese analyst schools Gen Bakshi, Arnab on Pak-China friendship

A senior Chinese analyst, Professor Victor Gao, countered Indian (R) Major General G.D. Bakshi’s grasp of history during a heated debate on Republic TV, hosted by Arnab Goswami on Wednesday. Gao reiterated that the friendship between Beijing and Islamabad is "as solid as a rock."

The exchange escalated when Gao challenged Bakshi’s weak historical knowledge, asserting that China had acquired the Xinjiang region “before the time of Jesus Christ,” and advised him to “read history first” before making comments on the region.

Gao went on to mock Bakshi's limited understanding, saying, “I know you study the military, but studying military without historical context will not make you a great military leader.”

His sharp rebuttal came after Bakshi accused China of invading Tibet in the 1950s, which he claimed marked the beginning of deteriorating relations between India and China.

Gao responded by emphasising that no force in the world could shake the friendship between Beijing and Islamabad, noting that this alliance did not begin in May 2025 but has spanned decades and remains unbreakable.

“Don’t pretend to be surprised if China and Pakistan closely cooperate in defending the legitimacy of Pakistan, its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Gao clarified.

Commenting on India’s aggressive rhetoric following the April 22 Pahalgam incident, Gao asserted that no nation should respond to terrorist attacks by launching military offensives without proper investigations or evidence. 

When host Arnab Goswami made an illogical claim that Chinese technologies were ineffective when India launched a missile at Pakistan on the night of May 6–7, Professor Gao reminded him of India’s defeat in the aerial confrontation with Pakistan.

“Only one country lost the aerial combat [on the May 6-7 night], and that is not Pakistan,” he said, referring to the five Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets which the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had downed, including three Rafales, during the dogfight earlier this month.

The Chinese analyst’s well-grounded arguments left both Bakshi and Goswami attempting to divert the topic.

When Goswami suggested that China should reconsider its close ties with Pakistan, Gao said, “Let both countries handle China-Pakistan relations.”