Latest news with #ShuHsiao-Huang
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.
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.
Business Recorder
13-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Success of Chinese jets against India raises alarm in Asia: report
The recent escalation between India and Pakistan has reignited global interest in the combat effectiveness of Chinese weaponry, as Islamabad's reported success using Chinese-made J-10C fighter jets challenges long-standing assumptions about Beijing's military technology, according to Bloomberg. Pakistan Army claimed on Wednesday, a day after the historic aerial combat between the PAF and the IAF took place, to have shot down five Indian aircraft in response to India's missile attacks on its territory. These included three Rafale, a high-end multirole aircraft that forms the backbone of India's recent air modernization drive, one SU-30, and a Mig-29. Although India has so far not officially commented on the losses, the incident has been closely watched across Asia and beyond. Last week, French officials confirmed the downing of at least one Rafale, lending weight to Pakistan's version of events. U.S. officials, too, have said Pakistani forces brought down at least two IAF fighter aircraft using Chinese-made platforms. Days after confirmations from the international community, a top official of the IAF official vaguely admitted the downing of Rafale jets during a press briefing on Sunday. 'Losses are part of combat,' said Air Marshal Bharti, in response to a question about IAF without elaborating on the date, location, or circumstances of the incident. The reports, if proven accurate, could mark the most significant real-world validation yet of the J-10C's capabilities, a jet that until now had seen limited combat exposure. The market reaction has been swift. Dassault's shares dropped by 7% on May 12 to EUR 292. In contrast, shares of Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC), the Chinese aerospace company behind the J-10 fighter jets, saw a significant surge, rising by 20%, reaching to Chinese Yuan 95.86, marking a 60% increase from the previous week. The development has also triggered alarm in Taipei. 'We may need to reassess the PLA's air combat capabilities, which may be approaching, or even surpassing, the level of US air power deployments in East Asia,' said Shu Hsiao-Huang, a senior researcher at Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research. The incident is not only a diplomatic and military flashpoint but also a potential inflection point for the global arms market. Pakistan has long been a key buyer of Chinese defense equipment, but until now, many analysts questioned whether Beijing's systems could match their Western counterparts in real-world battle conditions. The apparent success of the J-10Cs - along with evidence of the use of Chinese PL-15 air-to-air missiles, recovered from Indian territory - may now force a broader reassessment. Debris from the PL-15 missiles, which boast speeds exceeding Mach 5 and are considered China's answer to the U.S. AIM-120 AMRAAM, was found near crash sites in Indian-administered Kashmir. These missiles, fitted onto J-10Cs, were likely used during the engagements. If confirmed, it would mark the first known use of the PL-15 in active combat. Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of China's state-affiliated Global Times, used the moment to issue a warning to Taiwan via social media. If Pakistan's strikes prove true, 'Taiwan should feel even more scared,' he said, highlighting concerns about China's growing military confidence in regional conflicts. China's defense exports, once considered inferior in quality and sophistication, are gaining traction in the developing world. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) notes that China's five-year average for arms exports has more than tripled between 2000–2004 and 2020–2024. Beijing is now the world's fourth-largest arms exporter, with countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar among its core clients. Still, some experts caution against overhyping the moment. 'The J-10C may have had an advantage in this particular engagement, but it's primarily designed for air superiority, while the Rafale has a wider mission profile,' said M. Taylor Fravel of MIT. He added that while this isn't a 'DeepSeek moment' - a reference to China's surprise breakthrough in AI this year, it still marks a significant milestone. 'A lot is being learned about how Chinese systems perform under combat conditions.' Beijing has yet to issue an official response to the reports or comment on its role in the Pakistan-India clash. But with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) aiming to become a fully modern force by 2027, and President Xi Jinping pushing for tighter integration of military and civilian sectors, the world may see more such showcases of Chinese military power in the coming years.
