For most military powers, proving the success of one’s technology in real combat almost always requires undertaking the grave risks of war and human casualties.

In the case of the People’s Liberation Army, Beijing continues to exercise great caution about joining any armed conflict, and the past few decades have brought astounding progress yet an extremely limited combat footprint for its weaponry.As tensions around Iran persist, Pakistan, whose imported weapons mostly come from China, has raised its stature in Middle Eastern security, playing a mediating role between Washington and Tehran while establishing its military presence in Saudi Arabia.

Analysts said Islamabad’s higher profile in the Iran conflict could also boost Chinese weapons systems, giving them “exposure without risks” following Pakistan’s recent deployment of fighter jets in Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan has operationalised the JF-17 Block III, the most advanced variant of the fighter series. Photo: Handout

On April 11, Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry announced the arrival of Pakistan’s military at King Abdulaziz Air Base in the kingdom’s eastern province, as part of the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA) signed between the “two brotherly countries”.