As per the findings of the French Intelligence Service, China mobilised its embassies to cast doubt on the performance of French Rafale fighter jets after they were used by India during Operation Sindoor to target terror hideouts in Pakistan.
Findings reveal that the defence attaches of Chinese embassies in various countries undermined the capabilities of Rafales and discouraged some countries not to order them.
In the past several years, China has intensified its disinformation campaigns on social media platforms such as X, Instagram, and Facebook.
‘The Rafale was targeted by a vast campaign of disinformation that sought to promote the superiority of alternative equipment notably of Chinese design’ as per the statement released by French Defence Ministry. “The Rafale was not randomly targeted. It is a highly capable fighter jet, exported abroad and deployed in a high-visibility theatre,” the ministry wrote on its website.
Sales of Rafales and other armaments are big business for France’s defence industry and help efforts by the government in Paris to strengthen ties with other nations.
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