China has flown its J-20 stealth fighter in public for the first time, highlighting Beijing’s growing military might at a time of heightened tensions.
The aircraft, which bears a passing resemblance to the US air force’s F22 fighter jet, wowed crowds of Chinese military enthusiasts and aviation industry executives at the biennial Zhuhai air show in Guangdong province yesterday.
The development of an advanced stealth fighter will significantly boost China’s deterrent power against the US, which remains the dominant air force in the Asia-Pacific region. It also underlines President Xi Jinping’s ambitions to build a modern military force and an advanced defence industry to support it. “While it’s not a game-changer it does give China a much-improved operational strike capability,” said Ben Moores, an aviation analyst at IHS Janes, the defence publishing company.