• China attempted to exploit the 2025 India-Pakistan clash to undermine the Rafale fighter.
• Beijing used the incident to frame Western fourth-generation fighters as inferior.
• China targeted Rafale exports, particularly in Southeast Asia.
• The US report confirms allegations first raised by French intelligence earlier this year.

This may indicate China's growing influence in regional procurement and its ability to use disinformation campaigns to interfere with foreign arms sales. The report suggests that China's objective was not necessarily to displace existing Rafale contracts, but to sow doubt among undecided buyers and muddy the aircraft's reputation. This could have implications for Dassault Aviation's marketing efforts and the global Rafale market.