ISLAMABAD: The market capitalization of China’s premier jet manufacturer, Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, surged by more than $7.6 billion (Rs2.1 trillion) following the recent India-Pakistan conflict last week, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, as global attention zeroed in on the combat performance of Chinese J-10C fighter jets.

The report comes after the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) hailed the use of the J-10Cs to shoot down five Indian fighter jets, including three French Rafales, during a recent flare-up in hostilities that saw the nuclear-armed neighbors pound each other with missiles, drones and artillery for four days until the United States brokered a ceasefire.

The episode has prompted a reassessment of Chinese weapons, challenging long-held perceptions of their inferiority to Western arms.

“The jet’s maker saw its market capitalization soar by over 55 billion yuan ($7.6 billion), or more than a fourth, by the end of last week,” Bloomberg reported.

China is the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter, but its customers are mostly developing nations like Pakistan that have limited funds. The latest developments could bolster Beijing’s sales pitch as major economies from Europe to Asia heed President Donald Trump’s call to ramp up defense spending, Blomberg said.

“There is a good chance the weapons systems China is able to offer will be even more appealing to potential buyers” especially in the Global South, said James Char, assistant professor of the China Program at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, noting the J-10C was not even China’s most advanced jet.

The J-10Cs have had few battle tests and are used to patrol the Taiwan Strait and their latest reported success by Pakistan has provided some initial insight into how they might fare against US fighters such as the F-16, Bloomberg said.

Another Chinese weapon in focus after the India-Pakistan standoff is the PL-15 missile.

Parts of the air-to-air missiles were found in India after the reported shoot-downs, suggesting the weapons, deployed on Pakistan’s J-10C aircraft, proved effective in their first known combat use. With a top speed above Mach 5, the PL-15 is a rival to Western air-to-air missiles.

KARACHI: In a powerful display of grit and determination, 19-year-old Aliya Soomro punched her way to international recognition, knocking out Thailand’s Suthida Ganyanooch in the first round of “The Fighter: World Boxing” match in Bangkok on May 3.

Yet, for the teenage fighter from Karachi’s gritty Lyari neighborhood, the real battle was fought long before she entered the ring, as she braved relentless criticism and deeply ingrained gender norms back home.

In a country where many women still struggle to pursue their ambitions, especially in fields traditionally considered the preserve of men, Soomro said her victory was about more than just boxing as it challenged the limits others had set for women like her.

“They ended up motivating me,” she told Arab News at her modest residence, referring to all those who questioned her passion. “People thought they were demotivating me, but what they didn’t realize was that their negativity was actually turning into my motivation.”

“People gossiped about me, saying things like, ‘Make her quit, she can’t do it, this is beyond her,’” she said, recounting how many of them whispered such comments in her parents’ ears.

Born and raised in Lyari, an area long associated with poverty and gang violence, Soomro grew up hearing doubts about girls’ capabilities and endured years of neglect.

“You know, people still follow old-fashioned thinking that girls can’t do anything, that it’s not in their capacity and that they should just stay at home and tend to the stove,” she said.

But she was not just disappointed in people but also the sports authorities since even after being repeatedly shortlisted for Pakistan’s national boxing team, she was dropped without explanation.

“I was told, ‘Be ready, you’ll get your ticket in the morning.’ But when I got ready and sat waiting in the morning, I found out someone else had taken my place.”

Soomro’s father, Muhammad Hanif Soomro, a laborer and former footballer, said he made it his life’s mission to help his daughter, eldest of his four children, succeed.

“I am very happy as what has happened with me is not happened with my daughter,” he said, recalling how his poverty and lack of support deprived him of making his dream of playing football for his country come true.

He said he just unheard criticism of his daughter.

“If we had listened to the criticism, this would not have been possible,” he maintained. “The answer to criticism is hard work, dedication and she proved it. That’s her response.”

Without sponsors or institutional backing, Soomro said she walked from company to company during Ramadan, seeking help.

“Even during Ramadan, while fasting, I would go around to companies asking for sponsorship,” she said. “No one supported me.”

Eventually, help came from unexpected place, with Muhammad Hussain Bhatti, a leader from the fishermen’s community, getting her visa and tickets.

“After that, he took full responsibility for my sponsorship,” she added.

The victory in Bangkok has changed how Soomro is seen. Upon her return, she was applauded by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah who awarded her a shield and Rs1 million ($3,553) cash prize.

“Now, after returning with a victory, the situation has changed,” she said. “The chief minister is giving me great support.”

She’s also been offered a sports scholarship and professional coaching support ahead of her upcoming fight against an Indian opponent in Dubai.

But for Soomro, the transformation is deeply personal.

“The same ground where people once gossiped about me, I was later invited there as a chief guest, and they said, ‘She is our daughter.’ That was a moment of pride for me,” she said.

Soomro hopes her success will inspire other girls in Lyari and across Pakistan to pursue their dreams, regardless of societal pressures.

“I would just say this,” she said. “Don’t confine girls within four walls. Let them live freely. Just as you consider boys to be strong, know that women’s strength is even more important in your life... Women are powerful.”

She informed that boxing ran in her blood, with her maternal grand grandfather being a boxer.

“There was this one story. A cow had broken free. My great grandfather stood in a specific stance and threw a counter right, and it hit so hard that one of the cow’s horns broke off,” she said, smiling.

Despite being a third-year BBA student at a local university, Soomro balances her studies, training and coaching.

“Boxing isn’t just a sport for me,” she said. “Boxing is my life.”

Recalling her fight in Bangkok, Soomro said when she stepped into the ring, she just wanted to win. She knocked her opponent out in just 45 seconds.

When her Thai rival stood up, she hugged Soomro, saying: “Your punch is very hard.”