China’s disinformation campaign aimed to damage Rafale’s export reputation through false claims, AI-generated content, and diplomatic pressure on potential buyer nations like Indonesia.
Words can be more potent than bullets, at least when it comes to sales of advanced military hardware. Even as China works to develop air defense systems that can shoot down an adversary’s jet fighters, Beijing is being accused of launching a disinformation campaign to sow doubts about the capabilities of France’s Dassault Rafale omnirole combat aircraft.
French military and intelligence officials have claimed that posts were made on social media that questioned the effectiveness of the Rafale in the recent flare-up between India and Pakistan. According to a report from France24.com, China was seeking to “hammer the reputation and sales of France’s flagship fighter.”
The French intelligence service alleged that China’s defense attachés were tasked with carrying out disinformation efforts, including seeking nations that had committed to purchasing the Rafale to reconsider and perhaps look to Chinese offerings from Shenyang and Chengdu instead. Among the nations was Indonesia, according to documents shared with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Indonesia is reportedly having second thoughts about the French-made fighter.
China Spreads Propaganda About a Pakistani Victory Over the Indian Air Force
The press wire service further reported that China helped spread claims that Pakistan shot down five Indian Air Force fighters, including three Rafales. That prompted questions about their performance from countries that have bought the fighter.
Although India has acknowledged that it suffered losses in the air war with Pakistan in May, it didn’t confirm that three Rafales were shot down. French officials claim that the evidence shows a total of three Indian fighters were lost, including one Russian-made Sukhoi (likely a MiG-29) along with a Mirage 2000. This would still mark the first loss of a Rafale in combat, but there is a big difference between one being shot down and three being destroyed.
China Spreads Doubt About the Dassault Rafale’s Quality
Soon after the brief confrontation, reports quickly circulated that questioned the effectiveness of the Dassault Rafale. The AP further reported that “more than 1,000 social media accounts” were created during the conflict, with many spreading misinformation.
It included AI-generated content and even video-game footage, something not all that different from what Russian military bloggers shared in the early stages of the war in Ukraine.
The Rafale is also just the latest fighter to end up in the crosshairs of Chinese social media. Last November, in the run-up to the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 (NATO reporting name “Felon”) was widely mocked when it arrived in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province.
Chinese accounts, many of which seemed to have been created only days or even hours earlier, were quick to comment negatively about Russia’s fifth-generation fighter, while boasting about the domestically made Chengdu J-20 Mighty and Shenyang J-35. The commentary picked up as the latter aircraft was officially “unveiled” at the famed air show.
The posts were made to look like an actual “grassroots” effort. Still, media experts argued it was an example of “astroturfing,” the all-too-common practice of a marketing campaign meant to appear natural or unsolicited.
The various online platforms and networks have steadily become a tool for the spreading of such propaganda, and Beijing has quickly mastered it better than many other countries.
“Social media disinformation has many purposes. While much of the research and coverage has been about the political effects of disinformation, there are certainly ‘commercial’ reasons as well,” warned Dr. Cliff Lampe, professor of information and associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Information at the University of Michigan.
“Especially when we are looking at costly systems, we can expect disinformation to be a ubiquitous tool to influence perceptions.”
Beijing has fired back, claiming it wasn’t involved in the adverse online claims.
“The relevant claims are pure groundless rumors and slander. China has consistently maintained a prudent and responsible approach to military exports, playing a constructive role in regional and global peace and stability,” the Ministry of National Defense in Beijing told the AP in a statement.
Has France Responded to Chinese Disinformation About the Dassault Rafale?
Paris has stated that the efforts are not limited to comments in online posts, and alleges that defense attachés offered similar negative feedback while meeting with defense officials in countries that may have considered the Rafale. Efforts were made to focus “their lobbying on countries that have ordered Rafales and other potential customer-nations that are considering purchases,” French intelligence officials have claimed.
“The Rafale was not randomly targeted. It is a highly capable fighter jet, exported abroad and deployed in a high-visibility theater,” the French Defense Ministry wrote on its website.
“The Rafale was also targeted because it represents a strategic French offering,” the Defense Ministry added.
“By attacking the aircraft, certain actors sought to undermine the credibility of France and its defense industrial and technological base. The disinformation campaign, therefore, did not merely target an aircraft, but more broadly a national image of strategic autonomy, industrial reliability, and solid partnerships.”
“France’s allegations aren’t unfounded,” said technology industry analyst Roger Entner of Recon Analytics.
“Europe is slowly waking up to the reality that the cuddly Chinese panda bear is a veracious predator,” Entner told The National Interest.
“As Deng Xiaoping said, ’Hide your strength, bide your time,” and Xi Jinping is done with biding time and is acting ruthlessly to advance China’s interests at the expense of others.”
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Joe Ravi.
