China yesterday showed off its increasingly sophisticated air power, including surveillance drones, with an eye on disputed territories from Taiwan to the South China Sea and its rivalry with the US.
The nation’s biggest airshow, in the southern coastal city of Zhuhai, comes as Beijing pushes to meet a 2035 deadline to retool its military for modern warfare.
China still lags the US in terms of technology and investment in its war machine, but experts say it is narrowing the gap.
Photo: AFP
A US intelligence report this year flagged China’s growing influence as one of Washington’s biggest threats.
An air force aerobatic team left colorful vapor trails as it maneuvered in formation, while visitors inspected new jets, drones and attack helicopters on the tarmac.
The CH-6, a prototype drone with a wingspan of 20.5m, was among the domestic technology unveiled.
It is designed for surveillance and can also carry weapons for strike missions, open-source intelligence agency Janes reported.
The drone has a cruising altitude of 10,000m, “but it can go as high as 15,000m,” said Qin Yongming, general manager of drone maker Aerospace CH UAV Co.
“It can fly for longer periods [than previous models] ... it can carry out longer missions, with higher efficiency without any time limits,” Qin said.
Other debutants included the WZ-7 high-altitude drone for border reconnaissance and maritime patrol, as well as the J-16D fighter that has the ability to jam electronic equipment.
Both have already entered service with the air force, state media reported.
“They will play a major role in both the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea,” military commentator Song Zhongping (宋忠平) said.
Under former US president Donald Trump, Washington authorized about US$18 billion of arms sales to Taiwan, including advanced missile platforms — sales that angered Beijing.
China is also “clearly positioning itself to be an alternative supplier” of advanced drones, with relative affordability, Janes analyst Kelvin Wong (黃加榮) said.
The US and European nations have been hesitant to supply such equipment outside a select group of partners, he said.
Chinese drones have already seen combat action in the Middle East and have been sold to customers in other regions as well.
The J-16D improves the combat capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army, said James Char, a Chinese military expert at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.
The jet has wingtip pods to disrupt enemy electronic equipment and has drawn comparisons with the US-made EA-18G Growler.
“It gives the Chinese military an advantage in terms of conducting aerial electronic warfare over targets that possess significant air defense capabilities,” Char said.
The Zhuhai airshow, usually held every two years, was postponed from last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and is being staged before a largely domestic audience due to quarantine and travel restrictions.
KEY INDUSTRY: The vice premier discussed a plan to create a non-red drone supply chain by next year, which has been allocated a budget of more than NT$7.2 billion The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cho made the remarks during a visit to the facilities of Cub Elecparts Inc (為升電裝). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝依鳳) also participated in the trip. Cub Elecparts has transitioned from the automotive industry to the defense industry, which is the top priority among the nation’s
SOUTH KOREA DISPUTE: If Seoul continues to ignore its request, Taiwan would change South Korea’s designation on its arrival cards, the foreign ministry said If South Korea does not reply appropriately to a request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, the government would take corresponding measures to change how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. Taipei has asked Seoul to change the wording. Since March 1, South Koreans who hold government-issued Alien Resident Certificates (ARC) have been identified as from “South Korea” rather than the “Republic of Korea,” the
‘UNFRIENDLY’: Changing the nationality listing of Taiwanese residents to ‘China’ goes against EU foreign policy as well as democratic and human rights principles, MOFA said Taiwan yesterday called on Denmark to correct its designation of the nationality of Taiwanese residents as “China” or face retaliatory measures. The Danish government in 2024 changed the nationality of Taiwanese citizens on their residence permits from “Taiwan” to “China.” The decision goes against EU foreign policy and contravenes democratic and human rights principles, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said. Denmark should present a solution acceptable to Taiwan as soon as possible and correct the erroneous designation to preserve the longstanding friendship between the two nations, Hsiao said. The issue could damage Denmark’s image and business reputation in Taiwan,
SUFFICIENT: The president said Taiwan has enough oil for next month, with reserves covering more than 100 days and natural gas enough for 12 to 14 days A restart plan for the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Wanli District (萬里) and the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春) would be submitted to the Nuclear Safety Commission by the end of the month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, reversing the government’s policy to abolish nuclear energy. On May 17 last year, Taiwan shut down its last nuclear reactor and became the first non-nuclear nation in East Asia, fulfilling the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government’s pledge of a “nuclear-free homeland.” Even without nuclear power, Taiwan can maintain a stable electricity supply until 2032,
RSS