(MENAFN- Live Mint) After the India-Pakistan conflict in May 2025 following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed 26 lives, China initiated a disinformation campaign to hinder sales of French Rafale je in favor of its own J-35s, claimed a report by the US.

The claim in a report comes months after French intelligence and military officials alleged that China orchestrated a covert campaign to damage the reputation of the Rafale fighter jet.

Citing French intelligence, the report said that China used fake social media accounts to propagate AI images of supposed“debris” from the planes that China's weaponry destroyed.

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The report further added that in 2024, pro-China online actors used AI-generated news anchors and fake social media accounts with AI-generated profile pictures to sow divisions in the United States on issues such as drug use, immigration, and abortion.

“Chinese Embassy officials convinced Indonesia to halt a purchase of Rafale jets already in process, furthering China's inroads into other regional actors' military procurements,” the report added.

The report also claimed that China reportedly offered to sell 40 J-35 fifth-generation fighter jets, KJ-500 aircraft, and ballistic missile defense systems to Pakistan in June 2025.

China unveiled its J-35A fifth-generation stealth fighter jet in November 2024.

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“That same month, Pakistan announced a 20 percent increase in its 2025–2026 defense budget, raising planned expenditures to $9 billion despite an overall budget decrease.”

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilian.

Meanwhile, the report added that China has deepened links with Central Asia to advance its interests through economic integration, infrastructure, and security cooperation, as Russia is preoccupied with its war in Ukraine.

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"In the first five months of 2025, China's trade with the five Central Asian countries increased by 10.4 percent year-over-year... China is also using infrastructure projects and security partnerships to expand its market access and deepen its influence across the region.

The“Middle Corridor” trade route through Central Asia is a strategic priority for China, since the“Northern Corridor” through Russia and sea routes through the Suez Canal pose security challenges.

“To expand access, China has both initiated new infrastructure projects during the June 2025 China-Central Asia Summit and doubled down on existing agreements.”

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