A French intelligence service says China has used its embassies to promote claims that Chinese-made Pakistani warplanes outperformed French Rafale jets during India-Pakistan clashes in May.

Findings from a French intelligence service seen by The Associated Press say defense attaches in China’s foreign embassies led a charge to undermine Rafale sales, seeking to persuade countries that have already ordered the French-made fighter — notably Indonesia — not to buy more and to encourage other potential buyers to choose Chinese-made planes. The findings were shared with AP by a French military official on condition that the official and the intelligence service not be named.

Add: I don’t think the ploy worked, as in 2025 Indonesia ordered more Rafales and subs from France.

  • SebaDC@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    42·
    20 hours ago

    Ah! Yes! Europeans totally stopped doing it. Wink wink.

    Total gets juicy contracts in Africa and Latam, just because they are the best. Wink wink.

    Back to China. It’s more like “we, Europeans, made the rules of the game. Stop beating us at it! 😭”

      • SebaDC@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
        31·
        19 hours ago

        Yeah… So?

        What China is doing is literally the game.

        People who criticize whey China did, don’t seem to understand what Realpolitik is 🤦🏻‍♂️

        I’m the 1st one to criticize China. But for things like genocide, persecution, etc.

      • plyth@feddit.orgEnglish
        1·
        18 hours ago

        Whataboutism can provide necessary context into whether or not a particular line of critique is relevant or fair. In international relations, behavior that may be imperfect by international standards may be quite good for a given geopolitical neighborhood and deserves to be recognized as such.

        In this case the neighborhood is the world.