China accused of running disinformation campaign against French Rafale jets after India-Pakistan conflict
China reportedly launched a disinformation campaign aimed at undermining sales of the French Rafale fighter jet after India used the aircraft in May against Chinese weapons deployed by Pakistan, according to a report from the bipartisan U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. China has rejected the claims as false.
The commission’s report, released on Tuesday, coincides with Ukraine signing a letter of intent to acquire up to 100 Rafale jets from Dassault Aviation over the next decade, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The report states that China deployed fake social media accounts to spread AI-generated images and video game footage, falsely depicting debris from Rafale jets destroyed by Chinese weaponry.
"The report issued by the committee itself is false," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. "The committee has always held an ideological bias against China and has no credibility at all."
The report notes that while the May conflict between India and Pakistan should not be characterized as a “proxy war” instigated by China, Beijing used the situation to promote its weapons. Pakistani forces reportedly downed at least one Rafale jet with Chinese-made J-10 fighters during the four-day conflict.
The commission also claimed that Chinese embassy officials persuaded Indonesia to halt a purchase of Rafale jets, promoting the J-10 as a competitive alternative. Indonesia’s defence ministry has not yet commented.
More than half a dozen countries have already purchased Rafale jets, which have faced scrutiny after the incident in May.
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