China pushed fake narrative against Rafale jets following India-Pak conflict: US report
According to the US report, just days before the India-Pakistan conflict, China and Pakistan participated in three-week-long Warrior-VIII counterterrorism drills. A defence agreement between the two nations followed in November and December 2024, and the Chinese Navy later took part in Pakistan's multinational AMAN drills in February 2025.
New Delhi: In an alleged diplomatic move, China launched a "disinformation campaign” against French Rafale jets, using "fake” social media accounts to promote its own J-35 aircraft. A US report suggests that the communist nation initiated the campaign after the military conflict between India and Pakistan ended in May.
The report surfaces months after French military and intelligence agencies announced that they were countering a disinformation campaign targeting Rafale jets. According to the Associated Press, Chinese defence associations spearheaded the effort to undermine Rafale sales.
Did the war acted as bait?
China’s strategic operation reportedly began after the Indo-Pak conflict as part of its attempt to boost its own defence exports. As part of the campaign, China amplified claims about the performance of its weapon systems during the border clashes. The US report reveals that China used "fake social media accounts to propagate AI and video game images of supposed debris from planes that China’s weaponry destroyed.” It added that China "opportunistically leveraged” the India-Pakistan war to showcase its military hardware.
The strategy appeared to be effective, as China convinced Indonesia to pause its Rafale purchase, "furthering inroads into other regional actors’ military procurements,” the report said.
According to the US report, just days before the India-Pakistan conflict, China and Pakistan participated in three-week-long Warrior-VIII counterterrorism drills. A defence agreement between the two nations followed in November and December 2024, and the Chinese Navy later took part in Pakistan’s multinational AMAN drills in February 2025.
The report stated, "China reportedly offered to sell 40 J-35 fifth-generation fighter jets, KJ-500 aircraft, and ballistic missile defense systems to Pakistan in June 2025,” adding that Pakistan announced a 20 per cent increase in its 2025–2026 defence budget the same month.
BJP reacts
The BJP also responded to the US report, claiming that China attempted to hinder Rafale jet sales to promote its own J-35s. Without naming anyone, BJP leader Amit Malviya questioned who had "amplified this Chinese narrative.”
Taking to X, he wrote, "Who kept demanding ‘numbers’ on jets lost—even after the Indian Air Force clearly stated that all its assets were intact, and that sharing operational details mid-conflict would jeopardize national security?”
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, as a retaliation against the massacre of 26 civilians in the Pahalgam terror attack. The operation destroyed terror infrastructure in Pakistan and POK, killing over 100 terrorists. A military conflict had ensued after Pakistan targeted Army bases in India in an unprovoked drone and missile attack on Indian cities.