Pakistan’s Rafale Propaganda Backfires: China’s Second Biggest Enemy Set To Face J-20 Stea
Source: Zee News :World
Taipei/Paris: China tried to shape global opinion against the Rafale fighter jet with Pakistan’s support. It paid foreign experts write articles. Media campaigns were launched. Despite all this, the narrative failed. Reality overtook propaganda. India had already proposed purchasing 114 Rafale jets for the Air Force. Now Taiwan, another major strategic rival of China, is considering buying France’s 4.5-generation advanced fighter jets.
Taiwan Prepares To Replace Mirage Fleet
Reports suggest that Taiwan plans to replace its aging Mirage-2000 jets with Rafales. The move aims to strengthen Taipei’s air force in the middle of rising tensions with Beijing.
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The decision is not simple. This month, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) received its 300th J-20 stealth fighter jet, a fifth-generation aircraft.
French Govt Approval Required
Taiwan is accelerating the Rafale purchase as a leaked 800-page report by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) warns that China could attack Taiwan by 2027. The report also highlights Russian support to train Chinese troops in urban warfare, referencing tactics developed during Crimea in 2014.
Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier confirmed Taiwan’s serious interest in Rafales. He emphasised that any deal would require approval from the French government.
Taiwan faces Beijing’s constant opposition whenever it seeks foreign arms, with China framing every purchase as a sovereignty violation. Taiwan now has only 54 Mirage-2000 jets, of which around 60 percent are operational. As spare parts are scarce, most Mirage operators have shifted to Rafales. Dassault has almost ceased producing Mirage components.
Taiwan will likely have to transition fully to Rafales, though French government approval remains uncertain.
Facing China’s J-20, Not J-10
Even if France approves the sale, Taiwan must prepare the full infrastructure to operate Rafales effectively. China’s recent inclusion of its 300th J-20 stealth fighter solidifies the aircraft as the front-line of the PLAAF.
The J-20 is equipped with long-range PL-15 missiles, increasing the threat in any potential aerial conflict.
India has upgraded its Rafales with the Spectra electronic warfare system and integrated PL-15 missile signatures to counter Chinese capabilities. Taiwan will need similar capabilities to face the J-20 threat effectively.
Rafale Popularity Confirms China’s Propaganda Failure
Taiwan’s interest in Rafales shows that Pakistan and China’s propaganda campaign against the jet has failed. Dassault has sold over 530 Rafales, with more than 320 delivered to other countries.
Additional jets are allocated for Egypt, India, Qatar, Greece, Croatia, UAE, Serbia and Indonesia, either through active deals or confirmed deliveries.
Global confidence in the Rafale remains strong. If Taiwan acquires Rafales, it would challenge Beijing diplomatically and militarily.
India continues to expand its Rafale fleet. Taipei would gain significant new airpower. The question is whether France will risk Beijing’s pressure to supply Taiwan with Rafales, a politically sensitive decision with far-reaching implications.
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