A new assessment released by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission has accused China of orchestrating a disinformation campaign to obstruct India’s Rafale fighter jet procurement and broader influence in the Asian defence market.

The report, published on Wednesday, asserts that Beijing leveraged fake social media accounts and AI-generated images to discredit French-made aircraft following a brief border conflict between India and Pakistan in May 2025.

According to the Commission, the campaign sought to undermine Rafale’s combat credibility while promoting China’s domestically developed J-35 stealth fighter. The report claims that synthetic online content portrayed supposed wreckage from Rafale jets allegedly downed by Chinese weapons during the flare-up, aiming to alter regional perceptions about aircraft reliability and performance.

One of the report’s significant revelations concerns China’s diplomatic pressure tactics. It alleges that Chinese Embassy officials successfully convinced Indonesia to suspend an ongoing Rafale purchase, bolstering prospects for Chinese aerospace exports in Southeast Asia.

This development fits a broader strategic pattern, with Beijing reportedly attempting to use economic leverage and information manipulation to secure export deals for defence equipment. The report highlights China’s desire to supplant Western-made technologies in regional air forces with its own platforms, including the J-35 and other next-generation aircraft under development by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation.

The US assessment underscores escalated defence cooperation between China and Pakistan through late 2024 and 2025. Key recent examples include the Warrior-VIII joint counterterrorism drill conducted in November and December 2024, followed by China’s participation in Pakistan’s AMAN multinational naval exercise in February 2025.

These events demonstrate a tightening strategic alignment between the two countries, positioning China as Islamabad’s primary supplier of advanced defence technologies. In June 2025, Beijing reportedly offered to sell 40 J-35 fifth-generation fighters, KJ-500 airborne early warning aircraft, and ballistic missile defence systems to Pakistan.

The same month, Pakistan announced a significant 20 per cent increase in its defence budget for fiscal year 2025–2026, raising allocations to 9 billion US dollars, despite an overall contraction in government spending. This move appeared to signal a deliberate prioritisation of military modernisation amid shifting regional dynamics.

The release of this report coincided with renewed remarks by US President Donald Trump, who reiterated that he personally intervened to prevent a full-scale war between India and Pakistan earlier this year.

During a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House, Trump claimed credit for halting hostilities triggered by India’s Operation Sindoor in May, an operation conducted in retaliation for the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

President Trump asserted he "stopped eight wars," listing the India-Pakistan confrontation among them, and suggested that his diplomatic outreach—by phone and in meetings—was decisive in restraining escalation. India, however, has repeatedly denied such assertions, stating that the resolution of hostilities stemmed from its own calibrated military and diplomatic measures.

The US report’s findings underline the growing nexus of information warfare, defence economics, and strategic partnerships in Asia’s contested security environment.

China’s alleged use of disinformation campaigns marks an expanding front in its geopolitical competition, as it seeks to weaken Western defence influence and promote its own military exports across Asia.

At the same time, closer Sino-Pakistani collaboration, reinforced by arms transfers and defence exercises, reflects Beijing’s sustained commitment to shaping South Asia’s security architecture in its favour.

With Rafale jets serving as a critical component of India’s deterrence posture, especially in high-threat regions, efforts to erode their reputation may represent a broader attempt to challenge India’s air dominance and France’s defence footprint in the Indo-Pacific.

Based On ANI Report