China’s disinformation campaign Amar Ujala 22 Nov 2025
https://www.amarujala.com/columns/opinion/china-along-with-pakistan-launched-propaganda-campaign-against-rafale-during-operation-sindoor-2025-11-22
China’s disinformation campaign Amar Ujala 22 Nov 2025
The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission which is a US Congress-created advisory body published its latest report recently. The report, on the recently concluded Operation Sindoor, accused China of being behind a major disinformation campaign aimed at discrediting the French Rafale aircraft in favour of its own J 35.
The US report highlighted that China, as part of its Grey Zone warfare, employed fake social media accounts which used AI generated videos and images of aircraft crashes to claim they were of Rafale aircraft. This would have been the first known combat loss of the aircraft, since they were exported to eight nations. This desperation arose because Chinese defence products were failing in the global market due to quality and after sales service, while western equipment was being favoured.
Nigeria had purchased F 7 fighter jets from China. After a series of crashes, it returned the balance seven to China. Bangladesh has been dissatisfied with Chinese tanks and its HQ-7 short range surface to air missiles. Despite repeated requests for repair these remain non-functional. Nepal has been attempting to return five grounded Chinese made aircraft but is facing hurdles. These are just some examples of poor-quality Chinese products and their after-sales-service.
Pakistan employed Chinese and Turkish weaponry against India in Operation Sindoor. For China Operation Sindoor was supposed to be a test bed for live testing of its equipment. To ensure success, it provided Pakistan with real time information as also detailed coordinates of supposed targets. Yet Chinese made equipment failed.
Chinese PL 15E missiles never reached their targets, landing harmlessly in fields of Punjab. One of the missiles even landed intact. Indian DRDO engineers have reverse engineered the missile with special interest in its advanced seekers and propulsion system, which would subsequently be integrated into Indian platforms. The data would also be shared with other interested nations, including Chinese adversaries. Many nations have already approached India for the same.
Chinese anti-aircraft systems including its famed HQ-9 and HQ-16 Surface-to-Air Missiles failed to protect Pak airbases which were targeted. This is not the first time it happened. In 2022, when India accidently fired an unarmed BrahMos missile into Pakistan, that too went undetected. Similarly failing were Chinese fighter aircraft and UAVs held in Pakistan’s inventory.
The fact that Pakistan could not hit a single Indian strategic target while all of theirs were damaged or destroyed was solely due to their reliance on Chinese military hardware. It is quite possible that the ongoing purge in the Chinese PLA is because its leadership has realized that there are major deficiencies in Chinese weaponry, which were never highlighted.
The world watched in awe as India, in just 88 hours, brought Pakistan to its knees, forcing its DGMO to approach his Indian counterpart for a ceasefire. Trump’s claim of having stopped the conflict only has Pakistan supporting it.
In Jul this year, the French intelligence service had already reported that China was exploiting its defence attaches at its embassies, mainly in SE Asia, to discredit the Rafale. Their intent was to persuade Indonesia, which had already placed orders for 42 Rafale aircraft to cancel them in favour of China. The entire game backfired. Indonesia on the contrary increased its order. Indonesia cancelling orders for Rafale would have benefitted China as both nations are in dispute over Natuna Islands in the South China Sea and China would have leverage.
China’s J35 has recently been inducted into service. It faces stiff competition from the US’s F35 and the Rafale. Apart from Pakistan no other nation has displayed interest in procuring the same, hence the desperation. SE Asian nations gravitating towards the Rafale would be a big blow to China as it seeks to dominate the Asian market.
Operation Sindoor was an opportunity which presented itself to China to discredit the Rafale. Pakistan, which suffered heavy losses, including its airbases and aircraft, was desperate to project victory to its people. Its information warfare was aimed at it. China willingly joined hands. The anti-India campaign during Operation Sindoor was a combined Pak-China effort.
Many would recollect Pakistan’s media campaign mentioning that its air chief slept on a mattress for days in anticipation of an Indian assault. They insisted that multiple Rafale were downed. The truth emerged later including in the US Economic and Security Review Commission report. Pakistan’s media campaign was backed by Chinese handles displaying fake images and videos. Many Chinese handles were banned from social media accounts in India.
The world learning of failure of Chinese equipment would have resulted in a major loss in revenue for its defence industries as also on its military capabilities. It had little option but to resort to fake claims.
Fake news games continue even today. In the Dubai air show, the Tejas put up an outstanding display amongst other globally known aircraft including the F35, SU 57 and the Chinese J 10 and J35A. Aware that this aircraft could be a game changer in the future and grab the global market, Pakistan handles, backed by China, began spreading stories of an oil leak in the Tejas. The truth was that it was a routine part of flight preparation.
Information warfare, seeking to discredit the adversary and project own narratives is an important element of Grey Zone warfare. This continues unabated during war and peace. It is far more coordinated in nations which are controlled by the military or single party run as against a democracy. Pakistan and China are close allies and have coordinated their actions against India, including in information warfare.
No matter how much they try to discredit Indian armed forces, the reality would emerge. Further, they remain aware of Indian military power as also that the Indian state will never bend. China witnessed this in Ladakh and Pak in multiple operations against India.