Overview
- An annual report to Congress accuses China of using fake accounts and AI- or video‑game imagery to depict aircraft debris in order to undercut Rafale and promote the J‑35.
- The panel says the brief India–Pakistan conflict marked the first active combat use of Chinese systems such as the HQ‑9 air defenses, PL‑15 missiles, and J‑10C fighters, which Beijing then touted for export.
- Citing French intelligence, the report links the online campaign to broader efforts to steer procurement decisions in third countries.
- The commission records Pakistan’s claim of six Indian jets downed but notes only three losses were reliably reported and they may not have been Rafales.
- Chinese embassy outreach allegedly pushed Indonesia to halt a Rafale purchase, while Beijing reportedly offered Pakistan packages including 40 J‑35s, KJ‑500 aircraft and missile‑defense systems; China has not publicly responded to the detailed assertions.