Paris, July 8: French military and intelligence officials have accused China of orchestrating a disinformation campaign aimed at undermining global sales of Rafale fighter jets, promoting Chinese-made military hardware in the process, according to findings shared with the Associated Press.
The alleged campaign was launched after the May clashes between India and Pakistan, which involved air combat featuring India’s French-made Rafales and Pakistan’s Chinese-supplied aircraft. French intelligence concluded that Chinese defence attachés, operating through foreign embassies, sought to cast doubts on the Rafale’s combat performance and dissuade countries such as Indonesia from purchasing additional units.
The findings, described as sensitive, were provided by a French military official on condition of anonymity and without naming the specific intelligence service involved.
According to the report, the campaign included manipulated imagery, AI-generated content, and even video-game simulations presented as real footage. Researchers tracking the spread of disinformation said over 1,000 fake social media accounts were activated during the India-Pakistan conflict, disseminating narratives of Chinese military superiority and questioning the Rafale’s performance.
“Of course, all the nations that bought Rafales asked themselves questions,” said French Air Force Chief Gen. Jérôme Bellanger. He confirmed that India lost three aircraft during the clashes, including a Rafale, a Mirage 2000, and a Russian-made Sukhoi — the first known combat loss of a Rafale.
The Rafale, built by Dassault Aviation, has been sold to eight countries, including Egypt, India, Qatar, Greece, Croatia, the UAE, Serbia, and Indonesia, with a total of 533 jets sold, 323 of them for export. Indonesia, which has ordered 42 Rafales, is seen as a key target of the alleged lobbying campaign.
In a statement, France’s Defence Ministry said the Rafale had been subjected to a “vast campaign of disinformation”, calling the effort an attack not only on a fighter jet but on France’s strategic autonomy, industrial credibility, and defence partnerships.
“The Rafale was not randomly targeted. It is a highly capable fighter jet deployed in a high-visibility theatre,” the ministry said. “By attacking the aircraft, certain actors sought to undermine the credibility of France.”
The Chinese Ministry of National Defense dismissed the accusations, calling them “groundless rumours and slander.” The ministry said Beijing maintains a “prudent and responsible approach” to arms exports. Analysts say the campaign could be part of Beijing’s broader effort to weaken Western influence in the Indo-Pacific.
“From the perspective of limiting Western countries’ influence in the region, it would make sense for China to use the purported performance of Pakistani weapon systems to discredit Rafale,” said Justin Bronk, an airpower specialist at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London. “They certainly saw an opportunity to damage French sales prospects in the region.”
