Beijing: French military and intelligence officials have revealed that China launched a disinformation campaign aimed at undermining the reputation of French-made Rafale jets following their involvement in India-Pakistan military clashes in May. This campaign was reportedly orchestrated through Chinese embassies, intending to boost sales of Chinese-made military hardware.
According to France24.com, findings from a French intelligence service, shared under anonymity with The Associated Press, indicate that defense attachés in Chinese foreign embassies actively sought to discredit Rafale jets. Their goal was to dissuade countries, particularly those that have already ordered the jets like Indonesia, from purchasing more and to steer potential buyers towards Chinese-made aircraft. The intelligence report was provided by a French military official, who requested confidentiality for both themselves and the intelligence service.
The India-Pakistan clashes in May marked the most significant confrontation in years between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, involving air combat with numerous aircraft from both nations. Since then, military officials and researchers have been examining the performance of Pakistani Chinese-made military equipment, especially warplanes and air-combat missiles, against Indian forces, which included French-made Rafale jets.
French officials have been working to counter the negative impact on the Rafale's reputation, attributing it to a targeted campaign of disinformation involving manipulated imagery, AI-generated content, and video-game simulations. The campaign also reportedly included over 1,000 new social media accounts promoting narratives of Chinese technological superiority, as identified by French researchers specializing in online disinformation.
Although French military officials have not directly linked the online disinformation to the Chinese government, the French intelligence service disclosed that Chinese embassy defense attachés propagated the same narrative during meetings with security and defense officials from various countries. They claimed that Indian Air Force Rafales underperformed, while promoting Chinese-made weaponry.
The defense attachés reportedly concentrated on countries that have ordered Rafales, as well as other nations considering such purchases. French officials were informed of these meetings by the countries approached.
When questioned by AP, China's Ministry of National Defense dismissed the allegations as "pure groundless rumors and slander," asserting that China maintains a responsible approach to military exports and contributes positively to regional and global peace and stability.
In recent years, China has intensified disinformation efforts on global social media platforms, employing state-sponsored influencers, fake news sites, and social media accounts to disseminate Beijing's narratives.
France's Defence Ministry stated that the campaign against the Rafale was part of a broader effort to promote the superiority of Chinese-designed equipment. The ministry emphasized that the Rafale represents a strategic offering from France, symbolizing national strategic autonomy, industrial reliability, and strong partnerships.
Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale jets, has sold 533 units, including 323 for export to countries such as Egypt, India, Qatar, Greece, Croatia, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, and Indonesia. Indonesia has ordered 42 Rafales and is considering further purchases.
According to Justin Bronk, an airpower specialist at the Royal United Services Institute in London, China might be attempting to weaken the security alliances France is establishing with Asian countries by raising concerns about the reliability of its military exports. By leveraging the purported performance of Pakistani systems against Rafales, China could be seeking to diminish the jet's appeal as an export.
"They certainly saw an opportunity to damage French sales prospects in the region," Bronk noted.