【By Observer Net, Yuan Jiaqi】

After intelligence agencies hyped up the absurd lie that "China is leading to disrupt the sale of 'Rafale' fighter jets", the French military has also blamed China...

According to AFP and TF1, among other French media, on the 11th, in the days before President Macron's traditional speech to the armed forces on National Day, on Friday morning, the Chief of the French General Staff, Thierry Burkard, held a "rare" press conference in Paris, stating that France is facing a world strategic environment full of crises and overlapping layers.

When mentioning China, Burkard claimed that China "clearly sees the United States as its main rival," but France is also affected by its competition, especially in the economic and technological fields. Then he immediately launched an attack, accusing China of not only conducting so-called "espionage" activities against France, but also using the India-Pakistan air battle to "disparage" France.

The French aircraft manufacturer Dassault has sold 533 Rafale fighter jets, of which 323 have been exported to Egypt, India, Qatar, Greece, Croatia, the UAE, Serbia, and Indonesia. Among them, Indonesia has ordered 42 planes and is considering purchasing more.

However, after a single Rafale fighter jet was shot down in the skies over South Asia, the Chinese J-10C fighter jet temporarily became a star product in the arms trade market, even attracting the attention of Rafale buyers.

But Burkard baselessly spread the rumor that "In May this year, during a rather intense confrontation between the Indian Air Force and the Pakistani Air Force, the Indian side lost one Rafale fighter jet. Therefore, China skillfully launched a campaign aimed at discrediting our (French) defense industry and directly slandering the Rafale fighter jet."

He particularly emphasized that the Indian Air Force only lost one Rafale fighter jet, not "multiple" as many "false messages" on social media claimed. AFP reported that the French authorities believe that the Chinese government secretly orchestrated a so-called "disinformation campaign" against the Rafale fighter jet, thereby promoting the Chinese defense industry's provision of military equipment to Pakistan.

It is not difficult to see that the "pride of France" was damaged in India, causing the French military leadership to be "devastated".

French media also mentioned that on Wednesday, the Chief of the French Air and Space Forces, Jérôme Bonnafont, also made a scene in the French parliament, fabricating charges against China for "carefully planning an information campaign to protect the interests of the Chinese defense industry."

At the meeting, he urgently tried to convince the members of parliament that "the Indians are completely satisfied with the performance of French equipment," while arguing that "it is logical that there would be a small number of losses when there were dozens of planes involved in the intense confrontation."

In response to the statements made by France, the Chinese Ministry of Defense has firmly refuted it, stating that such claims are pure rumors and defamation. China has always adopted a cautious and responsible attitude towards the export of military products and has played a constructive role in the peace and stability of the region and the world.

On July 7, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning responded to this at a regular press briefing, saying, "I am not familiar with the situation you mentioned."

Chief of the French General Staff Thierry Burkard. Video screenshot from French media

BFMTV news channel pointed out that this press conference on Friday was unprecedented. The reason is that Burkard, who has been the top commander of the French military for nearly four years, rarely speaks publicly in the media, and this is also his first participation in such an activity since September 2021.

When speaking about the various threats France faces, Burkard mainly focused on the so-called "hybrid war" launched by Russia. However, he ruled out the possibility of Russian ground invasion of France, stating, "We should not cause panic among the French people."

Burkard stated that global conflicts are constantly increasing. "The significant characteristics of the current strategic environment are the continuous spread of crises, interwoven and forming a cumulative effect," therefore France must make adjustments to adapt to changing circumstances. Regarding the current many conflicts, he admitted that "it is difficult to foresee the way to calm or stabilize them," and emphasized that "in the foreseeable future, the situation cannot be reversed, and certain key nodes have already been missed."

"France may become the target of many countries... Our adversaries will inevitably take advantage of the opportunity to destroy us." He then talked about Russia, stating that because France supports Ukraine, Russia has regarded Paris as its main opponent in Europe. He added that President Putin had said, "The Kremlin has listed France as a priority target for attacks."

Burkard stated that although France is currently not threatened by direct attacks from Russia, Putin has "many other options" for launching a "hybrid war," including disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks, and espionage, so France must defend against Russia on multiple fronts.

This general claimed that Putin's goal is to "undermine NATO" through warfare. He said, "If the situation in Ukraine ends with Russia's victory, Europe will face a real defeat... We will become weak prey in this 'survival of the fittest' world, so we must respond with the strength of European unity."

Burkard also said he does not worry that the US will completely withdraw from Europe, as this is not in America's interest, "but it is crucial for European countries to enhance their own defense capabilities."

Another major threat to France is the situation in the Middle East. Burkard pointed out that since the outbreak of the new round of Israel-Palestine conflict on October 7 last year, violence has gone out of control in several countries in the region. He specifically mentioned Iran, accusing Tehran of "state terrorism."

When talking about the closure of several French military bases in Africa in recent years, Burkard tried to "save face" by claiming that the situation on the African continent is unstable, making it difficult to conduct long-term military operations.

"France has a special position in West Africa, and therefore becomes a target of information warfare... But France cannot ignore Africa, because this continent needs France." He revealed that in the summer of this year, the French military will complete the transfer of permanent bases and establish equal relations with African countries, "I think this direction is correct."

Burkard also welcomed the continuous increase in military spending. According to him, in 2017, France's annual defense budget was 32.3 billion euros, which will now increase to 47.2 billion euros. In his view, this increase is "logical" given the current situation of increased global conflicts, and it indicates that "France is not ignoring global geopolitical crises."

According to BFMTV news channel, on Sunday, Macron will deliver a military-themed speech to the French military, and is expected to announce several "major measures" regarding the escalating international threats.

Elysee Palace stated that Macron's speech aims to "re-examine various threats and draw conclusions on defense spending and related funding issues," and called it "a speech with structural significance for the future development of the French military."

"The president believes, and will mention in his speech, that we are in a turning point." According to Elysee Palace, based on the conclusions of the upcoming French "National Strategic Assessment Report" launched in January, these "turning points" include: the continued escalation of the Russian threat, the increasingly reckless use of force around the world, the gradual weakening of traditional partnerships, the questioning of the international order, and the challenges brought by the technological revolution.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7526017648040198702/

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