China is using its embassies to spread doubts about the performance of French "Rafale" fighter jets after they entered combat during clashes between India and Pakistan in May, French intelligence said, quoted by the Associated Press, accusing Beijing of trying to damage the reputation and sales of the French warplane, BTA reports.
According to the revelations of French intelligence, military attaches in Chinese embassies around the world caused a decline in "Rafale" sales after they tried to convince countries that had already ordered the French fighter jet, including Indonesia, not to buy more of this model and instead encouraged potential customers to order Chinese-made planes.
The four-day standoff between India and Pakistan in May was the most serious confrontation between the nuclear-armed neighbors in years and involved a dogfight involving dozens of aircraft from both sides.
Since then, military experts have been trying to learn details about how Pakistan's Chinese-made military hardware - especially warplanes and air-to-air missiles - has fared against the weapons India uses in air strikes against Pakistani targets, especially French Rafale fighter jets.
Pakistan claims its air defenses shot down five Indian planes, including three French fighters. India has acknowledged the losses but has not said how many or what kind of aircraft were shot down.
The head of the French air force, Gen. Jerome Belanger said he had seen evidence pointing to only three Indian losses - a Rafale, a Russian Sukhoi and a Mirage 2000, an earlier generation French fighter jet.
This is the first known combat loss of a Rafale - a plane that France has sold to eight countries, the AP noted.