China's home built C 919 for the first flight of the fifth prototype shows the first test flight from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Shanghai.
ZHUHAI, China Reuters: China's drive for self-sufficiency in aerospace and its growing military prowess will be on display at the country's largest air show this week, in an event set against backdrop of coronavirus pandemic and trade frictions with the West.
The usually tight Airshow China in the southern City of Zhuhai, delayed a year due to COVID - 19, will be a mostly biennial affair because of tight quarantine rules.
The fact that Airshow China is running after all, when the Global air show calendar has been pretty disrupted, allows China to show it has returned to post-COVID normalcy, said Douglas Barrie, a senior fellow for military aerospace at IISS Local aerospace and defence firms. They have ramped up their presence significantly. Major business suppliers like Airbus and Boeing will send their virtual teams to China, and there will also be a Western component for those unable to travel.
The United States' efforts to improve strategic aerospace technology will be in the spotlight at a time of a growing domestic rivalry with the West.
As China faces increasing threats from the West, it needs to improve its military-industrial, aviation and aerospace capabilities, said Song Zhongping, a military commentator and former instructor on missile technology.
Trade frictions with the West are also accelerating China's desire to limit its dependency on foreign made commercial products.
Commercial Aircraft Corp of China's COMAC C 919 widebody plane, due to be certified this year, is made mostly of domestic parts but the mix should change over time as Chinese technology advances, with the engines a key target for eventual replacement.
More than 100 aircraft have registered to fly in the air or on the ground as China shows off its military might and its space ambitions, including a next-generation crewed rocket and heavy-lift launch vehicle.
State media reported that the J - 16 D electronic warfare version of the J-16 fighter jet will make its show debut.
The flying displays will feature some products that China wants to export, including the AG 600, the world's largest amphibious aircraft, designed for fire-fighting and sea-rescue roles.
The Wing Loong II, an armed drone similar to the US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper, has already been sold to customers including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan as China competes against Western rivals for more military exports.
A new series of drone products dubbed Feihong, including an unmanned helicopter, new missiles and a stealthy generation of drones, will make their debut at the show in early November.
The Singapore military technology analysis company Janes is intent on not just pushing local-made military aircraft and aerospace technologies, but also its ability to address almost any military demand out there, said Kelvin Wong, a Singapore-based defence technology analyst.
The show comes as analysts warn China could slide towards an accelerating arms race as countries react to Asia's military growth.
The United States and its Asian allies have expressed growing alarm at Beijing's military buildup, pressure on Taiwan and deployments in the contested South China SeaChina Sea.
Taiwan has complained repeatedly for a year or more of Chinese-ruled flights by the US air force near the democratically governed island.
This month, United States, Britain and Australia established a security partnership that will involve helping Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines.