Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning downplayed the French allegations that it deployed its embassies to spread doubts about the performance of French-made Rafale jets after India used them in conflict with Pakistan in May.
When asked about it, Mao said, “I am not familiar with what you mentioned”. Meanwhile, the Chinese Ministry of National Defence was quoted by Chinese media as denying the allegations. Global Times, in a post on X, said that the Chinese defence ministry labelled the accusations as “pure groundless rumours and slander,” and reiterated China’s commitment to a “prudent and responsible approach to military exports,” and emphasised its role in promoting “regional and global peace and stability.”
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes that ended with a ceasefire understanding on stopping the military actions on May 10. New Delhi has maintained that India’s fierce counterattack that day forced Pakistan to plead for ending the hostilities.
What did France allege?
France also said that shortly after the escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan, a “vast campaign of disinformation” began to circulate online. The French Ministry for Armed Forces claimed that disinformation was spread to “promote the superiority of alternative equipment, notably of Chinese design.” French military and intelligence officials claimed China orchestrated a disinformation campaign aimed at damaging the credibility and export prospects of the French-made Rafale fighter jet. French officials said that they have found that the Chinese embassies were trying to undermine Rafale sales by persuading countries that have already ordered the jets, notably Indonesia, not to buy them and instead choose Chinese-made fighters, according to an AP report.
“The Rafale was not randomly targeted. It is a highly capable fighter jet, exported abroad and deployed in a high-visibility theater,” the French Ministry for Armed Forces added in a statement. “The Rafale was also targeted because it represents a strategic French offering. By attacking the aircraft, certain actors sought to undermine the credibility of France and its defence 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,” it said.