The Rafale, a flagship of French aeronautics, finds itself at the center of an influence war where military, industrial, and diplomatic issues intermingle. The latest hostilities date back to December 2025. The Chinese state television CCTV airs an unprecedented report: a military training exercise in Xuchang, Henan province. It shows eight J-16 aircraft of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force facing off against six Rafale jets intentionally placed at a numerical disadvantage and labeled as a threat.
“Broadcasting this on the media is not insignificant. It’s not a leak. It’s controlled,” emphasizes Marc Julienne, Director of the Asia Center at Ifri, to Off Investigation.
A Rafale shot down by the Pakistani army
As noted by Marc Julienne from Ifri, “the Rafale in question was reportedly shot down by a J-10, a Chinese-made aircraft, specifically by a Chinese-made missile as well. There is a much broader industrial dimension pitting not India against Pakistan, but rather China against the French and European defense industry.” This Indo-Pakistani conflict has provided Beijing with an unexpected opportunity to promote its own fighters and attempt to undermine the reputation of the Rafale among its current and potential clients.
According to Marc Julienne from Ifri, “the loss of at least one Indian Rafale [the one shot down by the Pakistani air force in May 2025] has been transformed by Beijing into a strategic opportunity. What was seen by India and France as a limited tactical incident has been reworked by China as a narrative proof of the vulnerability of the French fighter.”
Find the full article on the Off Investigation website.
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