Nothing Comes Without a Cost

From the imported MiG-9 jet of 1950, to the national pride of indigenous stealth fighters via copied Russian types cross millennium, Chinese aviation engineers worked all their lives to get where they are today.  Since its first successful MiG-17 copy (Re-designated J-5) in 1956, nearly 10,000 aircraft churned out under dozens of designations.  This industrialization is achieved through a long struggling, its success have eventually outperformed the grotesque neighbor on measures of defense might.  Especially right after the Sino-Vietnamese War in 1979, its air power modernization changed from flying artillery to air superiority dominance. 

When China proudly unveils its KJ-200, KJ-2000 J-10, J-11, and J-15 in dazzling Zhuhai 2016 and previous air shows, there were several unsuccessful projects, namely, J-8, J-9, J-12 and J-13 etc. were aborted.  Though these designs became obsolete even before accomplished, they laid the foundation of the integral development of the overall aviation industry.  After its Maoist-fueled isolationism sentiment diminished in 1978, Grumman joined the Shenyang Aircraft Corp. (Plant 112)'s J-8 project under the code Engineering 82 in 1986.  In this unparalleled 14 years R&D, it's rival, Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corp. (Plant 132)'s J-10 project surpassed J-8 by a decade, soon the CAIC was chosen to produce Boeing 757's empennage and MD-80/9o's nose section.

China has the ability of have a coherent conversation and achieve consensus, on topics of national importance, then real progress become possible.  Unlike this longing for self-sustainability, Taiwan heads big-ticket weaponry purchase in an apparently misguided attempt to pay its protection fee to the US.  In a standoff air combat, the J-11 with ZHUK-M radar can easily outclass both Taiwanese Mirage 2000-5 with Mica missile, and F-16MLR with AIM-120 missile; let along the superb maneuverable J-15 in dog fight.  Lucky for the intentionally blinded Taiwanese not falling on this issue.  Across the Taiwan Strait, the historical march toward a more stable and less violent era continues, but not without chilly times ahead for the island state.