×
![]()
China modernizes its air force to project power globally
Chengdu, July 6, 2016: Air Force Divisional Commander Chen Gang salutes during the handover ceremony of China's newest heavy air transport jet, the Y-20 (source: dpa)
General info
What's inside
- China has rapidly modernized its air force since the mid-1990s
- Its new-generation aircraft are plagued by technical problems, particularly relating to jet engines and advanced avionics
- Reverse engineering and espionage have their limits, so it may be decades before China reaches technological parity with the West
- As 2016 winds down, remarkable progress should be noted in China’s push to achieve air supremacy in Southeast Asia. Chinese military aviation is still not on par with the United States, but it has been steadily narrowing the gap. Several of China’s key aircraft programs have entered new development stages
- Just this year, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) officially brought the Y-20 heavy strategic transport plane into service, confirmed it is working on a long-range strategic bomber, and made its first public demonstration of the J-20 stealth fighter at an air show in early November. That does not mean that 2016 was an unbroken string of successes for Chinese aviation, however.
Who will benefit?
- Report is targeted to the decision makers in cross country manufacturing – suppliers, manufacturers, logistics.
- Also considered useful for the administrative university facilities, to better understand the possible effects of current decisions.
Suggested reports
Clarity and instability in the South China Sea
A Hague-based arbitration panel has declared that China’s famous “nine-dash line” provides no legal basis for its claims to the vast maritime territory it encloses. The decision suddenly brings legal clarity to the dispute between Beijing and several countries in the region over control of islands and shipping lanes in ...
Increased danger on China’s maritime flank
Chinese ambitions to become a global and hegemonic power are leading it to project further into the East and South China Seas. Now, it seems Russia is backing China’s position. This alarms neighboring countries, many of which are close to the United States. The emergence of these two blocs, with ...
Military corruption crackdown strengthens Xi
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was, until recently, held up as a paragon of virtue in China, but that changed when President Xi Jinping came to power. By 2016, his anti-graft campaign had resulted in 46 senior military officers facing corruption charges. The campaign shows no sign of stopping. The ...
Xi’s power plays will determine China’s future
Chinese President Xi Jinping is consolidating power at a strikingly effective rate. His anticorruption drive has not only managed to gain him popularity, he has also used it to eliminate political opponents. But his success raises questions about what direction he plans to take China and whether he intends to ...
