The escalating conflict between India and Pakistan could be offering the world a first real glimpse into how advanced Chinese military technology performs against proven Western hardware – and Chinese defense stocks are already surging.

China's vice premier He Lipeng held talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent early on Saturday in Geneva, China's state-owned news agency Xinhua reported.

In recent years, India has grown closer to the United States and Pakistan to China, putting the two traditional south Asian foes at the heart of global superpower competition, writes Yvonne Murray.