A French intelligence assessment obtained by the Associated Press concludes that China orchestrated a campaign to damage the export prospects of France’s Rafale fighter jet, mobilising defence attachés in its embassies to question the aircraft’s performance and lobby potential buyers. The effort began after Rafales flown by India saw combat during the four-day India-Pakistan hostilities in May, according to the report. French officials say Chinese diplomats urged countries that have already ordered the jet—most notably Indonesia, which has signed for 42 aircraft—to scale back or cancel purchases and to consider Chinese-made alternatives such as the J-10CE. The lobbying was accompanied by an online disinformation drive featuring manipulated images, AI-generated content and hundreds of newly created social-media accounts portraying Rafales as inferior. Pakistan claimed it shot down three Rafales during the clashes, allegations that New Delhi rejected. French Air Force chief Gen. Jérôme Bellanger later said evidence pointed to three Indian aircraft losses overall—one Rafale, one Russian-built Sukhoi and one Mirage 2000—marking the first confirmed combat loss of a Rafale and fuelling questions from existing and prospective customers. France’s Defence Ministry called the anti-Rafale effort “a vast campaign of disinformation” aimed at undermining a strategic national export. Dassault Aviation has sold 533 Rafales worldwide, including 323 for export, and is seeking additional orders across Asia and the Middle East. Beijing’s Ministry of National Defense dismissed the French findings as “groundless rumours and slander,” asserting that China maintains a “prudent and responsible” approach to arms exports. Despite the denial, the episode highlights intensifying competition between Beijing and Paris for defense markets in the Indo-Pacific.