China has used its network of embassies to spread doubts about the combat capabilities of French Rafale fighter jets following their involvement in clashes between India and Pakistan in May.
Associated Press writes about this.
China Attempts to Discredit Rafale Fighters
This is the conclusion reached by the French military and intelligence services, who see Beijing's actions as an attempt to undermine the reputation and export potential of France's key fighter.
Now watching
According to a report by a French intelligence service obtained by AP, defense attachés at Chinese embassies have been working hard to persuade countries that have already purchased Rafale, particularly Indonesia, to forego additional purchases, while urging new potential customers to choose Chinese aircraft.
A four-day flare-up between India and Pakistan in May was the most serious conflict between the two nuclear powers in years, with dozens of aircraft from both sides involved.
Military experts and analysts are examining how Pakistan's Chinese-made weapons, especially fighter jets and air-to-air missiles, performed in clashes with India's Rafale fighters.
Sales of the Rafale and other weapons are a key source of revenue for France's defense industry and a tool for strengthening international ties, particularly in Asia, where China's influence is growing.
France confronts disinformation campaign
After Pakistan claimed to have destroyed five Indian aircraft, including three Rafales, doubts began to arise among countries that are clients of Dassault Aviation. India admitted to aircraft losses, but did not specify the number.
The French Air Force Chief of Staff, General Jerome Bellanger, said he had information about the loss of three aircraft: one Rafale, one Russian Sukhoi and one Mirage 2000, a previous generation fighter of French manufacture.
It was the first confirmed combat loss of a Rafale, which at the time had been purchased by eight countries.
“Of course, all the countries that bought the Rafale asked themselves the question,” Bellanger said.
French officials are trying to salvage the fighter's reputation, claiming it is the subject of a targeted smear campaign involving Pakistan and its ally China.
In particular, we are talking about the mass distribution of fakes on social networks: fake photos of Rafale wreckage, AI-generated content, footage from video games simulating air battles. According to French researchers, more than 1,000 new accounts were created on social networks immediately after the start of the conflict to promote the thesis of China's technological superiority.
While the French military has not been able to directly link the online disinformation to the Chinese government, intelligence says attachés at Chinese embassies have repeated the same talking points in meetings with officials from other countries. They have claimed that the Rafale fighters India has acquired have performed poorly in combat and have instead touted Chinese weaponry.
French officials learned of these meetings from the states themselves, to whom the Chinese attachés had addressed themselves.
Beijing denies, investigation continues
China's Ministry of National Defense told the AP the allegations were “totally groundless gossip and slander” and stressed that Beijing “has consistently maintained a responsible approach to arms exports” and played a “constructive role in maintaining peace and stability.”
Despite this, China has stepped up disinformation campaigns on social media platforms, particularly X, Instagram, and Facebook, in recent years. It uses networks of paid influencers, fake accounts, and websites masquerading as media outlets to spread narratives that benefit Beijing.
The French Defense Ministry noted that the Rafale had become the target of a “large-scale disinformation campaign” aimed at promoting “alternative technology, in particular Chinese-made.”
