Overview

• French defense officials say Chinese embassy attaches lobbied countries that had ordered Rafales or were considering them to doubt the jet’s performance and choose Chinese-made fighters instead.
• The disinformation effort reportedly employed more than 1,000 newly created social media accounts sharing doctored imagery, AI-generated videos and video-game footage to simulate alleged Rafale shootdowns.
• China’s Ministry of National Defense has rejected the accusations as pure groundless rumors and slander, affirming a prudent and responsible approach to military exports.
• The campaign capitalized on the Rafale’s first confirmed combat loss during India’s Operation Sindoor in May, which had already fueled buyer concerns over the fighter’s battlefield effectiveness.
• France is now working to shore up confidence among key partners, notably Indonesia—which has ordered 42 Rafales and is weighing additional purchases.