A US advisory body has accused China of orchestrating an Artificial Intelligence-driven disinformation campaign targeting the French-made Rafale fighter jets operated by India, following Operation Sindoor in May. According to the latest annual report from the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission submitted to the US Congress, Beijing exploited AI-generated fake images and inauthentic social media accounts to influence global perceptions about the effectiveness of India’s Rafale jets after the conflict.
Operation Sindoor was India’s military retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, targeting terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The report revealed that China spread fabricated visuals online portraying supposed “debris” from downed Indian and French aircraft, claiming these were destroyed by Chinese-made air defence systems.
The Commission found that China’s motive was to undermine the Rafale jet’s global export prospects and instead promote Beijing’s own next-generation J-35 fighters. Chinese embassies and propaganda channels highlighted alleged battlefield successes to bolster sales efforts, with particular attention to persuading countries like Indonesia to reconsider their Rafale purchases in favour of Chinese jets.
The report concluded that China “opportunistically” exploited the India-Pakistan conflict to showcase its defence technology and influence international procurement decisions, using social media and AI-driven content as tools of perception management.
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