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American Military News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- American Military News
Chinese weapons gain credibility after Pakistan-India conflict
The recent conflict between India and Pakistan is prompting a reassessment of Chinese weapons, challenging long-held perceptions of their inferiority to Western arms and sparking concern in places wary of Beijing. Pakistan hailed the use of its Chinese J-10Cs to shoot down five Indian fighters, including French-made Rafale aircraft, last week in response to Indian military strikes. Although the reports haven't been confirmed, and India hasn't commented, the jet's maker saw its market capitalization soar by over 55 billion yuan ($7.6 billion), or more than a fourth, by the end of last week. Hu Xijin, the ex-editor-in-chief of China's nationalist tabloid Global Times, warned on social media that if Pakistan's successful strikes were true, Taiwan should feel 'even more scared.' Beijing sees the self-ruled democracy as its own, and reserves the right to use military force to bring it under control. Taiwan closely watched the clash between Pakistan and India, according to Shu Hsiao-Huang, an associate research fellow at the Institute of National Defense and Security Research, a government-funded military think tank based in Taipei. 'We may need to reassess the PLA's air combat capabilities, which may be approaching — or even surpassing — the level of U.S. air power deployments in East Asia,' Shu said, adding Washington might want to consider selling more advanced systems to Taiwan. While President Xi Jinping has been trying to modernize the world's biggest military by the number of active personnel, the People's Liberation Army has been mired in scandals. That had raised questions about the combat-readiness of its powerful and secretive Rocket Force, which is responsible for conventional missiles and would play a crucial role in any invasion of Taiwan. The reported success of J-10Cs, which have had few battle tests and are used to patrol the Taiwan Strait, appears to counter those doubts. It's still uncertain, however, how they would fare against U.S. fighters such as the F-16, which make up the bulk of Taiwan's jets and have been combat-proven across decades and militaries. Another Chinese weapon Pakistan uses will also be coming under intense scrutiny by Beijing's adversaries. Parts of Chinese air-to-air PL-15 missiles found in India after the reported shoot-downs suggest the weapons, deployed on Pakistan's J-10C aircraft, proved effective in their first known combat use. With a top speed above Mach 5, the PL-15 is a rival to Western air-to-air missiles. China is the world's fourth-largest arms exporter but its customers are mostly developing nations like Pakistan that have limited funds. The latest developments could bolster Beijing's sales pitch as major economies from Europe to Asia heed President Donald Trump's call to ramp up defense spending. 'There is a good chance the weapons systems China is able to offer will be even more appealing to potential buyers' especially in the Global South, said James Char, assistant professor of the China Program at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, noting the J-10C is not even China's most advanced jet. Buying weapons has also become a focus for developing nations, mulling U.S. arms purchases to appease Trump and his demands to reduce American trade imbalances. Several of these countries list China as a top trading partner and could consider hedging bets by acquiring systems from the Asian country, too. China's overseas arms sales have been growing, with its five-year average weapons exports more than tripling in 2020-2024 from 2000-2004, according to calculations based on data from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Chinese government and state-owned enterprises do not disclose data on arms exports. Some of the largest state-owned players — also blacklisted by the U.S. — include Norinco Group, which makes armored vehicles and anti-missiles systems; Aviation Industry Corporation of China, whose subsidiary AVIC Chengdu Aircraft Co. manufactured the J-10Cs; as well as China State Shipbuilding Corp., a producer of frigates and submarines. M. Taylor Fravel, director of the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, cautioned that the Chinese jet was primarily for aerial combat, while the Rafale was designed to conduct many kinds of missions, meaning the J-10 may have held an advantage. Chinese weapons exports have been plagued for years by defects, specialists have said, adding that the seemingly inexpensive systems can drain security budgets due to maintenance expenses. 'China attracts customers for its military equipment with cut-rate pricing and financing but there are hidden costs — especially when gear malfunctions,' Cindy Zheng, then a researcher at Rand Corp., wrote in a research paper just before joining the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission in the latter stages of the Biden administration. In 2022, Myanmar had to reportedly ground its fleet of Chinese fighter jets due to structural cracks and other technical issues. Bangladesh lodged complaints with Beijing about the quality of its military hardware last year. Even the Pakistan Navy has been facing issues with its F-22P frigates, forcing them to operate the vessels with significantly degraded capabilities. 'Questions about combat capabilities and other issues, including concerns about interoperability with non-Chinese platforms, have hampered China's ability to expand exports beyond a handful of countries,' Bloomberg Intelligence's senior associate analyst Eric Zhu wrote in a note last week. China's Defense Ministry didn't respond to a request for comment on the past weapon defects and the J-10C's recent performance. Beijing regularly says that its military helps maintain global stability and that it prefers to resolve the Taiwan issue peacefully. Xi has been trying to turn China's defense industry around by bringing together the military and civilian sectors, in an effort to transform the PLA into a modern force by 2027. That's led to breakthroughs such as China's launch in December of its first next-generation amphibious assault ships, considered the world's largest of its kind. A video of what is believed to be a test flight of the nations' sixth-generation fighter jet circulated on social media that year, leading to a rally in defense stocks. But it's wrong to call the J-10C's potential success a 'DeepSeek moment' for China's military, said Fravel, referring to the artificial intelligence chat bot that surprised the world earlier this year, noting that the jet's design wasn't new. 'But it doesn't need to be a DeepSeek moment to be significant,' he added. 'A lot is being learned about how Chinese systems perform under combat conditions.' ___ © 2025 Bloomberg News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Jordan News
19-05-2025
- Business
- Jordan News
India-Pakistan Conflict Gives China a Boost in the Arms Market - Jordan News
The recent aggressive clashes between India and Pakistan have led both sides to claim victory, despite a lack of sufficient public evidence to support either claim. اضافة اعلان Ultimately, success depends on the actual balance of the fighting itself. Nevertheless, China is among the countries that can claim tangible reasons to feel victorious—especially its arms industry. AVIC Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, based in southwest China, saw its stock price surge by 40% within just five days following the conflict, according to the British newspaper The Times. Rare Details on the Conflict Although participants kept their losses secret, it is reported that a Pakistani J-10C fighter jet—manufactured in China—shot down a French Rafale jet operated by the Indian Air Force. The Rafale is known to be significantly cheaper. AVIC Chengdu produces the J-10C, and its 'performance' against the Rafale sparked a wave of national pride throughout China. A Breakthrough Moment Prominent national commentator Hu Xijin wrote: 'This will represent one of the most convincing real-world demonstrations of Chinese weaponry on the global stage—a breakthrough moment for China's defense industry.' He added that shooting down a Western aircraft with a Chinese plane—a relatively older model already outperformed by China's current J-20 and the experimental J-35—has significant implications for any future war over Taiwan. Hu said Taiwan should 'feel fear.' Taiwan has taken notice. Shu Hsiao Huang, from Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told Bloomberg: 'We may need to reassess the combat capabilities of the People's Liberation Army Air Force, which may now approach or even surpass the U.S. Air Force presence in East Asia.' Export Arms Propaganda Chinese strategists are equally excited about the potential propaganda value for China's arms export industry. While China, the U.S., and their allies currently use more advanced 'fifth-generation' jets—the Chinese J-22 and American F-22 and F-35—the demand for modern, if not cutting-edge, technology remains high among 'secondary military powers.' Tough Years The U.S. has long dominated the global fighter jet market with the F-16. Despite its growing military industry, China has struggled to catch up in fighter jets and other advanced military equipment. From 2019 to last year, China ranked only fourth in total arms sales, behind the U.S.—the world's largest arms manufacturer by a wide margin—France, and Russia, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). In fact, China's market share slightly declined over the past five years. Moreover, its market is dominated by a single country—Pakistan. The U.S. once supplied Islamabad, but amid disputes over terrorism allegations and Pakistan's support for the Taliban in Afghanistan, Beijing has become Pakistan's primary arms supplier. Changing Dynamics Now, other countries in the Middle East and especially in Africa may be tempted to follow Pakistan's lead. Recently, Egypt, which often disputes with its American arms supplier, conducted its first joint air exercise with China, highlighted by J-10C fighter jets flying over the pyramids. Yu Ziwan wrote in Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao: 'Regardless of geopolitical constraints, a main reason behind China's weak performance in exporting advanced weapons has been the lack of real proof of their combat effectiveness.' He added: 'The impressive performance of Chinese high-tech weapons, such as the J-10C in the recent India-Pakistan clash, will likely increase international recognition and confidence in Chinese arms, which could significantly boost China's prospects in the global arms trade.' A Two-Way Relationship With significant Chinese investment now in Pakistan's infrastructure, Pakistan acts as a key 'showcase' and marketing platform for China's international relations. Antoine Lovisc, a researcher at London's International Institute for Strategic Studies, said: 'Given the real strategic ties between the two countries, Pakistan is sometimes described as a testing ground or initial stage, or a trial market, for Chinese technologies and products that China intends to roll out or export elsewhere.' A recent institute paper also noted the relationship is largely reciprocal. Reports indicate Pakistan supplied China with U.S. military technology for 'reverse engineering' purposes. Notable Capabilities Pakistan claimed to have shot down three Rafale jets, but U.S. and French sources confirmed only one was destroyed during media briefings. Regardless, some capabilities of the J-10C are undeniably impressive, according to The Times. The export price of the J-10C is reportedly around $40–50 million, compared to over $200 million for the Rafale. The J-10C boasts powerful radar with an 'active electronically scanned array' and is armed with long-range PL-15 missiles—one of which allegedly shot down the Rafale over India without the Pakistani jet leaving its airspace. Battle Outcomes and Uncertainties No definitive information is available on the detailed outcomes of the air battles between Pakistan and India, other than their significance. Technically, the J-10C may have operated with airborne early warning and control systems, allowing it to target enemies without relying solely on its radar. Pakistan has two advanced systems, one Chinese and the other Swedish-made by Saab (the Erieye), but it's unclear which was used or how they were integrated. Justin Bronk, an air force specialist at the Royal United Services Institute, told The Times: 'With the information available to the public, detailed conclusions about the relative performance of weapons or aircraft cannot be drawn.' He added, 'The wider context and even the specifics of how and why the Rafale was lost are unavailable.' Final Thoughts Success ultimately depends on the overall balance of the conflict. India might consider losing one Rafale and possibly two older Russian jets a small price if its air force achieved the sweeping successes it claims against Pakistani military bases. India has not confirmed its losses but said no pilots were killed. Questions were also raised about the tactics India used, possibly deploying the Rafale as both a bomber and fighter simultaneously, leaving it vulnerable. Pakistan's Narrative Lovisc said: 'In the battle of narratives dominating military assessments of India and Pakistan's performance, Pakistan's version will matter to countries already buying or considering Chinese weapons.' He added: 'Many facts about foreign-origin equipment used in May 2025, let alone the broader capabilities that enabled their use, remain missing from both sides. So, it may be premature to draw conclusions about the market prospects from the conflict, including those related to Chinese arms.'
Miami Herald
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Chinese weapons gain credibility after Pakistan-India conflict
The recent conflict between India and Pakistan is prompting a reassessment of Chinese weapons, challenging long-held perceptions of their inferiority to Western arms and sparking concern in places wary of Beijing. Pakistan hailed the use of its Chinese J-10Cs to shoot down five Indian fighters, including French-made Rafale aircraft, last week in response to Indian military strikes. Although the reports haven't been confirmed, and India hasn't commented, the jet's maker saw its market capitalization soar by over 55 billion yuan ($7.6 billion), or more than a fourth, by the end of last week. Hu Xijin, the ex-editor-in-chief of China's nationalist tabloid Global Times, warned on social media that if Pakistan's successful strikes were true, Taiwan should feel 'even more scared.' Beijing sees the self-ruled democracy as its own, and reserves the right to use military force to bring it under control. Taiwan closely watched the clash between Pakistan and India, according to Shu Hsiao-Huang, an associate research fellow at the Institute of National Defense and Security Research, a government-funded military think tank based in Taipei. 'We may need to reassess the PLA's air combat capabilities, which may be approaching - or even surpassing - the level of U.S. air power deployments in East Asia,' Shu said, adding Washington might want to consider selling more advanced systems to Taiwan. While President Xi Jinping has been trying to modernize the world's biggest military by the number of active personnel, the People's Liberation Army has been mired in scandals. That had raised questions about the combat-readiness of its powerful and secretive Rocket Force, which is responsible for conventional missiles and would play a crucial role in any invasion of Taiwan. The reported success of J-10Cs, which have had few battle tests and are used to patrol the Taiwan Strait, appears to counter those doubts. It's still uncertain, however, how they would fare against U.S. fighters such as the F-16, which make up the bulk of Taiwan's jets and have been combat-proven across decades and militaries. Another Chinese weapon Pakistan uses will also be coming under intense scrutiny by Beijing's adversaries. Parts of Chinese air-to-air PL-15 missiles found in India after the reported shoot-downs suggest the weapons, deployed on Pakistan's J-10C aircraft, proved effective in their first known combat use. With a top speed above Mach 5, the PL-15 is a rival to Western air-to-air missiles. China is the world's fourth-largest arms exporter but its customers are mostly developing nations like Pakistan that have limited funds. The latest developments could bolster Beijing's sales pitch as major economies from Europe to Asia heed President Donald Trump's call to ramp up defense spending. 'There is a good chance the weapons systems China is able to offer will be even more appealing to potential buyers' especially in the Global South, said James Char, assistant professor of the China Program at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, noting the J-10C is not even China's most advanced jet. Buying weapons has also become a focus for developing nations, mulling U.S. arms purchases to appease Trump and his demands to reduce American trade imbalances. Several of these countries list China as a top trading partner and could consider hedging bets by acquiring systems from the Asian country, too. China's overseas arms sales have been growing, with its five-year average weapons exports more than tripling in 2020-2024 from 2000-2004, according to calculations based on data from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Chinese government and state-owned enterprises do not disclose data on arms exports. Some of the largest state-owned players - also blacklisted by the U.S. - include Norinco Group, which makes armored vehicles and anti-missiles systems; Aviation Industry Corporation of China, whose subsidiary AVIC Chengdu Aircraft Co. manufactured the J-10Cs; as well as China State Shipbuilding Corp., a producer of frigates and submarines. M. Taylor Fravel, director of the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, cautioned that the Chinese jet was primarily for aerial combat, while the Rafale was designed to conduct many kinds of missions, meaning the J-10 may have held an advantage. Chinese weapons exports have been plagued for years by defects, specialists have said, adding that the seemingly inexpensive systems can drain security budgets due to maintenance expenses. 'China attracts customers for its military equipment with cut-rate pricing and financing but there are hidden costs - especially when gear malfunctions,' Cindy Zheng, then a researcher at Rand Corp., wrote in a research paper just before joining the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission in the latter stages of the Biden administration. In 2022, Myanmar had to reportedly ground its fleet of Chinese fighter jets due to structural cracks and other technical issues. Bangladesh lodged complaints with Beijing about the quality of its military hardware last year. Even the Pakistan Navy has been facing issues with its F-22P frigates, forcing them to operate the vessels with significantly degraded capabilities. 'Questions about combat capabilities and other issues, including concerns about interoperability with non-Chinese platforms, have hampered China's ability to expand exports beyond a handful of countries,' Bloomberg Intelligence's senior associate analyst Eric Zhu wrote in a note last week. China's Defense Ministry didn't respond to a request for comment on the past weapon defects and the J-10C's recent performance. Beijing regularly says that its military helps maintain global stability and that it prefers to resolve the Taiwan issue peacefully. Xi has been trying to turn China's defense industry around by bringing together the military and civilian sectors, in an effort to transform the PLA into a modern force by 2027. That's led to breakthroughs such as China's launch in December of its first next-generation amphibious assault ships, considered the world's largest of its kind. A video of what is believed to be a test flight of the nations' sixth-generation fighter jet circulated on social media that year, leading to a rally in defense stocks. But it's wrong to call the J-10C's potential success a 'DeepSeek moment' for China's military, said Fravel, referring to the artificial intelligence chat bot that surprised the world earlier this year, noting that the jet's design wasn't new. 'But it doesn't need to be a DeepSeek moment to be significant,' he added. 'A lot is being learned about how Chinese systems perform under combat conditions.' ____ -With assistance from Colum Murphy, Alastair Gale and Philip Glamann. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Japan Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Success of Chinese fighter jets against India raises alarm in Asia
The recent conflict between India and Pakistan is prompting a reassessment of Chinese weapons, challenging long-held perceptions of their inferiority to Western arms and sparking concern in places wary of Beijing. Pakistan hailed the use of its Chinese J-10Cs to shoot down five Indian fighters, including French-made Rafale aircraft, last week in response to Indian military strikes. Although the reports haven't been confirmed, and India hasn't commented, the jet's maker saw its market capitalization soar by over 55 billion yuan ($7.6 billion), or more than a fourth, by the end of last week. Hu Xijin, the ex-editor-in-chief of China's nationalist tabloid Global Times, warned on social media that if Pakistan's successful strikes were true, Taiwan should feel "even more scared.' Beijing sees the self-ruled democracy as its own, and reserves the right to use military force to bring it under control. Taiwan closely watched the clash between Pakistan and India, according to Shu Hsiao-Huang, an associate research fellow at the Institute of National Defense and Security Research, a government-funded military think tank based in Taipei. "We may need to reassess the PLA's air combat capabilities, which may be approaching — or even surpassing — the level of U.S. air power deployments in East Asia,' Shu said, adding Washington might want to consider selling more advanced systems to Taiwan. While Chinese leader Xi Jinping has been trying to modernize the world's biggest military by the number of active personnel, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has been mired in scandals. That had raised questions about the combat-readiness of its powerful and secretive Rocket Force, which is responsible for conventional missiles and would play a crucial role in any invasion of Taiwan. The reported success of J-10Cs, which have had few battle tests and are used to patrol the Taiwan Strait, appears to counter those doubts. It's still uncertain, however, how they would fare against U.S. fighters such as the F-16, which make up the bulk of Taiwan's jets and have been combat-proven across decades and militaries. People take photos of Pakistan Air Force jets in Karachi on Feb. 27. | REUTERS Another Chinese weapon Pakistan uses will also be coming under intense scrutiny by Beijing's adversaries. Parts of Chinese air-to-air PL-15 missiles found in India after the reported shoot-downs suggest the weapons, deployed on Pakistan's J-10C aircraft, proved effective in their first known combat use. With a top speed above Mach 5, the PL-15 is a rival to Western air-to-air missiles. China is the world's fourth-largest arms exporter but its customers are mostly developing nations like Pakistan that have limited funds. The latest developments could bolster Beijing's sales pitch as major economies from Europe to Asia heed U.S. President Donald Trump's call to ramp up defense spending. "There is a good chance the weapons systems China is able to offer will be even more appealing to potential buyers' especially in the Global South, said James Char, assistant professor of the China Program at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, noting the J-10C is not even China's most advanced jet. Buying weapons has also become a focus for developing nations, mulling U.S. arms purchases to appease Trump and his demands to reduce American trade imbalances. Several of these countries list China as a top trading partner and could consider hedging bets by acquiring systems from the Asian country, too. China's overseas arms sales have been growing, with its five-year average weapons exports more than tripling in 2020-2024 from 2000-2004, according to calculations based on data from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Chinese government and state-owned enterprises do not disclose data on arms exports. Some of the largest state-owned players — also blacklisted by the U.S. — include Norinco Group, which makes armored vehicles and anti-missiles systems; Aviation Industry Corporation of China, whose subsidiary AVIC Chengdu Aircraft manufactured the J-10Cs; as well as China State Shipbuilding, a producer of frigates and submarines. M. Taylor Fravel, director of the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, cautioned that the Chinese jet was primarily for aerial combat, while the Rafale was designed to conduct many kinds of missions, meaning the J-10 may have held an advantage. Pakistani Air Force J-10C fighter jets produced by China's Chengdu Aircraft Company | AFP-JIJI / Getty Images / via Bloomberg Chinese weapons exports have been plagued for years by defects, specialists have said, adding that the seemingly inexpensive systems can drain security budgets due to maintenance expenses. "China attracts customers for its military equipment with cut-rate pricing and financing but there are hidden costs — especially when gear malfunctions,' Cindy Zheng, then a researcher at the Rand Corp., wrote in a research paper just before joining the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission in the latter stages of the Biden administration. In 2022, Myanmar had to reportedly ground its fleet of Chinese fighter jets due to structural cracks and other technical issues. Bangladesh lodged complaints with Beijing about the quality of its military hardware last year. Even the Pakistan Navy has been facing issues with its F-22P frigates, forcing them to operate the vessels with significantly degraded capabilities. "Questions about combat capabilities and other issues, including concerns about interoperability with non-Chinese platforms, have hampered China's ability to expand exports beyond a handful of countries,' Bloomberg Intelligence's senior associate analyst Eric Zhu wrote in a note last week. China's Defense Ministry didn't respond to a request for comment on the past weapon defects and the J-10C's recent performance. Beijing regularly says that its military helps maintain global stability and that it prefers to resolve the Taiwan issue peacefully. Xi has been trying to turn China's defense industry around by bringing together the military and civilian sectors, in an effort to transform the PLA into a modern force by 2027. That's led to breakthroughs such as China's launch in December of its first next-generation amphibious assault ships, considered the world's largest of its kind. A video of what is believed to be a test flight of the nations' sixth-generation fighter jet circulated on social media that year, leading to a rally in defense stocks. But it's wrong to call the J-10C's potential success a "DeepSeek moment' for China's military, said Fravel, referring to the artificial intelligence chatbot that surprised the world earlier this year, noting that the jet's design wasn't new. "But it doesn't need to be a DeepSeek moment to be significant,' he added. "A lot is being learned about how Chinese systems perform under combat conditions.'
South China Morning Post
06-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
Driver arrested in eastern China after bus stop crowd hit during May Day holiday
Police in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong have arrested a driver after a car ploughed into a crowd of people at a bus stop on Sunday afternoon. Advertisement Questions remain about the number of casualties and whether it was a deliberate 'lone wolf' attack. Authorities in the city of Tengzhou confirmed the crash on Monday afternoon, adding that the driver had been detained, according to Jimu News, an online media outlet affiliated with Hubei Daily, an official newspaper in central China. It was the first Chinese news report of the incident, more than a day after a video of the crash was widely circulated on social media. Local authorities have not issued an official statement and further details have not been released. Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of Global Times, a nationalist tabloid affiliated with Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily, criticised the Tengzhou authorities on Monday night for 'failing to release any official information on the incident'. Advertisement 'I hope all local authorities understand and trust the resilience of our society, and do not set a precedent of not releasing information to the public when such incidents occur,' Hu wrote in a social media post.
