Four cutting-edge stealth fighters soared in perfect unison, the sound of their engines deafening. It was a display designed to attract attention. These jets, previously shrouded in secrecy, are now on display for the Chinese public and the world to see. It was undoubtedly the headline at the China National Air Show hosted in Zhuhai in southern China this week. The event is a celebration of all things aviation, from the most basic to the combat ready. As well as exhibitors from across the industry, there was an exhibition by China’s aerobatic team, demonstrations of high-tech drones and a flight of the country’s first domestic passenger jet. It was a highly militarized event at a time when people are increasingly afraid of what this military might do. Among the crowds was Yue Gang, a retired colonel who served more than 20 years in the Chinese armed forces. It summed up the feeling of many here – a sense of pride in the military’s growth and confidence in what it can achieve. Image: Red Eagle Aerobatic Team performing in Zhuhai. Photo: FeatureChina via AP “China is showing the world that it is a really powerful country,” he said. “It means that we can not only defend our national territory, but also our national interests outside our country, because China’s national interests extend to the outside world.” Many fear that these “interests” include China potentially trying to take control of Taiwan, the self-governing island it claims as its own. This is a longtime dream of President Xi. It’s an issue in the spotlight this week as Greg Hands, the UK trade secretary, visits Taiwan, the first British minister to do so since the pandemic. While he emphasized that the talks were about trade, any foreign visits that hint at Taiwan’s autonomy are seen by China as highly provocative. It seems to have had a response. Image: A Chinese-made passenger jet was part of the show On Tuesday, China sent more fighter jets to Taiwan than at any time since the summer: 31 crossed the “middle line” – the unofficial maritime border. Tensions are the highest they have been in some time. The family of jets used in these flights were on display in Zhuhai. It is unusual to see them so closely. That he was allowed was perhaps a message in itself. Whether China would actually attempt such an invasion is uncertain, but there were plenty of hints in that report about its readiness — from new amphibious vehicles to a simulation of what an invasion of an unnamed mountainous island might look like. The message China wanted to get across was clear: its is a modernized and transformed military, capable of fighting an international war if necessary.
