The information war launched by China against the Rafale after India’s Sindoor operation against Pakistan last May did not escape the attention of the United States. In its annual report sent to Congress on November 18, the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission devoted several paragraphs to Beijing’s information attacks on French military and economic interests. In general, this report consists of: “monitor, investigate, and report to Congress on the national security implications of bilateral trade and economic relations” between the United States and China.
The commission specifically confirmed that China had done just that “launched a disinformation campaign aimed at blocking France’s sale of Rafale aircraft in favor of its own J-35 (Shenyang J-35A, fifth generation aircraft developed by AVIC, editor’s note), used fake social media accounts to spread AI-generated images and video game footage showing ‘debris’ from planes destroyed by Chinese weapons systems.. Beijing, which wants to offer its fighters for export, has tried to find ways to discredit the Rafale, which is a serious competitor in a small number of joint commercial campaigns. However, India, one of the countries most concerned about the Rafale’s operational performance, has assured France of its desire to acquire the new French fighter.
