🇫🇷 French intelligence has accused China of covertly sabotaging international sales of the Rafale fighter jet, using its embassies to discredit the aircraft in strategic regions. According to a report by AP, this operation ramped up after the May clashes between India and Pakistan, where the Rafale was spotlighted due to Indian Air Force deployment.

Beijing allegedly targeted countries like Indonesia, urging them to cancel or rethink pending Rafale deals in favor of Chinese alternatives, such as the JF-17 Thunder or J-10C.

The intel report claims these disinformation campaigns were channeled through diplomatic networks, presenting the Rafale as “overpriced and politically entangling,” while highlighting Chinese jets as “cost-effective and non-aligned.”

This revelation comes at a time when France is aggressively pursuing defense exports and expanding its strategic presence in the Indo-Pacific—a region Beijing views as increasingly contested.

If confirmed, the incident would mark a significant escalation in China’s use of soft power and influence operations to undermine Western defense exports.