Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
It wasn’t a battlefield loss that shook the Rafale’s global rep—it was what came after. A whisper campaign turned war performance into weapons propaganda.
French intel found something bizarre: Chinese embassy officials weren’t just issuing visas—they were quietly undermining the Rafale, face to face, across multiple countries.
Beijing allegedly tried to spook Indonesia into scrapping future Rafale orders. Why? Because Asia’s arms race isn’t just military—it’s market share.
Over 1,000 fake accounts. AI-generated “debris.” Combat scenes ripped from video games. This wasn’t critique—it was coordinated disinformation masked as battlefield truth.
Representative pic
France confirmed a Rafale was downed in the India-Pakistan clash. China and Pakistan made sure the world noticed—and then spun that into a narrative of superiority.
Online, doctored footage and fake Rafale wreckage went viral. Offline, Chinese diplomats echoed those claims to potential arms buyers. The goal? Mistrust in Made-in-France firepower.
French defense leaders say this wasn’t just about a plane—it was an assault on national prestige. Rafale represents France’s independence in global arms. And China knows that.
Asked about the plot, China called it “groundless slander.” But its online influence playbook—from fake news sites to diplomatic nudges—has been seen before.
With 533 Rafales sold, including to Indonesia and UAE, Dassault faces more than sales fallout. This is now a geopolitical skirmish—fought through whispers, tweets, and embassy handshakes.