A new report to the US Congress says China used fake social media accounts to run a fake image campaign during the May 7–10 India–Pakistan clash, sharing AI-generated and video game–based pictures and presenting them falsely as debris from Indian fighter jets. The US–China Economic and Security Review Commission says the effort aimed to influence global opinion, undermine confidence in Rafale jets, and promote China’s J-35 fighters, highlighting how misinformation can shape views during tense military events.
China’s Fake Image Campaign and Online Push
According to the Commission’s report, China launched a coordinated fake image campaign soon after India carried out Operation Sindoor. The campaign involved various fake social media accounts sharing images that claimed to show wreckage from Indian jets destroyed during the clash. However, investigators later found that many of these images were not real.
The report says several pictures were created using AI tools, while others were taken directly from video game scenes. These images were edited and posted to make them look like real battlefield debris. The fake image campaign was designed to convince people that India had suffered heavy losses and that Rafale jets had underperformed.
World watches closely as China’s HQ-29 threatens U.S. lead in space-layer missile defense
The Commission notes that this fake image campaign served China’s wider goal of promoting its defense products. The misleading posts suggested that Chinese jets were more reliable and modern than Rafales. By increasing doubts about French equipment, China aimed to gain more space in the global defense market.
The report also highlights an incident where Chinese officials reportedly influenced another country to halt its planned Rafale purchase. This step helped China strengthen its defense links in the region. The Commission says this move shows how the disinformation push and diplomatic pressure worked together during the crisis.
China’s Role and the Fake Image Campaign During the Clash
The US Commission’s report says Pakistan used several Chinese-made weapons during the India–Pakistan clash and may have received intelligence assistance from China. India claimed China provided Pakistan with “live inputs” on Indian military positions, but Pakistan denied this, and China neither confirmed nor denied it.
Pakistan stated that India lost six fighter jets, including Rafales. The Commission reports that India lost only three jets, and it remains unclear whether any of them were Rafales. This difference in numbers matters because the fake image campaign made the losses look much larger.
At UN, Pakistan and China demand terror designation for BLA and Majeed Brigade
The report notes that China used the clash to showcase its modern military systems. China deployed weapons such as the HQ-9 air defense system, PL-15 missiles, and J-10 fighter jets in active combat for the first time, and it promoted these systems by pointing to Pakistan’s battlefield claims.
The Commission adds that China remains Pakistan’s largest defense supplier and even offered Pakistan new systems—such as 40 J-35 fighters and missile defense equipment—after the clash. Chinese embassies praised these systems heavily, even though the Commission stresses that India lost only three jets and that none of them may have been Rafales.
Growing China–Pakistan Defense Partnership
The US Commission’s report also outlines how China and Pakistan expanded their defense cooperation in 2024 and 2025. In November and December 2024, they conducted the Warrior-VIII counterterrorism drills, which lasted three weeks. Then, in February 2025, China’s navy joined Pakistan’s AMAN maritime exercise.
These military activities show a growing and deepening defense partnership between the two neighbors. The report says this partnership is seen in India as a direct national security threat.
The fake image campaign played a part in this wider pattern. By pushing out false visuals and misleading claims during the clash, China was able to promote its weapons as “battle-tested.” The Commission says the campaign gave China a stronger platform to advertise its defense products in the region.
The document also states that China used Pakistan’s battlefield claims to highlight the abilities of its jets, missiles, and air defense systems. The fake image campaign made these claims appear more convincing by flooding social media with fabricated proof.
