France’s intelligence agency has reported that China is behind a concerted campaign to undermine the sales of France’s flagship fighter jet, the Rafale, following the recent India-Pakistan conflict in May.
According to French officials, Beijing is working to spread doubts about the performance of the Rafale jets by spreading disinformation online and in meetings with defense officials from other countries. The Chinese embassy’s defense attaches have allegedly promoted Chinese-made weaponry as a superior alternative, targeting countries that have already ordered Rafales and potential new customers.
French military officials claim that China has deployed its embassies to spread doubts about the performance of French-made Rafale jets after the India-Pakistan conflict in May, which included air combat involving dozens of aircraft from both sides. The campaign allegedly includes manipulated imagery, AI-generated content, and social media posts to simulate supposed combat.
The French intelligence agency says it has found no direct link between the online disinformation campaign and the Chinese government, but defense attaches from Beijing have echoed similar narratives in meetings with security officials from other countries. The French Ministry for Armed Forces has described the Rafale as being targeted by a “vast campaign of disinformation” aimed at promoting alternative equipment, such as Chinese-made fighters.
The sales of Rafales and other armaments are crucial for France’s defense industry and help strengthen ties with Asian nations, where China is increasingly becoming the dominant regional power.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/6/french-intelligence-claims-china-trying-to-foil-global-sale-of-rafale-jets