Overview
- The US‑China Economic and Security Review Commission reports Beijing used the May 7–10 fighting as a live trial and marketing push for modern systems, marking first combat use of the HQ‑9 air defenses, PL‑15 missiles and J‑10C fighters.
- According to the report, China orchestrated a campaign using fake accounts to spread AI‑ and video‑game‑generated images that purported to show Rafale debris, with the goal of boosting its J‑35 sales.
- The commission says Chinese embassies amplified Pakistan’s narrative of success; it states officials convinced Indonesia to halt a Rafale purchase already in process.
- The report highlights deep China–Pakistan defense ties, noting China supplied roughly 81–82% of Pakistan’s arms imports from 2019–2023 and reportedly offered 40 J‑35s, KJ‑500 aircraft and missile defense systems after the clash.
- Aircraft loss tallies remain disputed, as the commission cites only three Indian jets reportedly downed and not all necessarily Rafales, while China has not publicly confirmed the characterizations in the report.