Can China find a market for its fifth-generation J-35 warplanes?
February 21, 2026 at 02:00 PM
By Seong Hyeon Choi
China’s push to sell its J-35 fifth generation fighter jet in the Asia-Pacific was likely to face stiff competition from US rival the F-35 as well as cheaper alternatives, military analysts said after the plane featured at this year’s Singapore Airshow.
They said political and economic considerations apart from performance would weigh on potential buyers, and questioned how many countries would want to buy the Chinese plane.
In Singapore this month, the booth operated by China National...
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China’s push to sell its J-35 fifth generation fighter jet in the Asia-Pacific was likely to face stiff competition from US rival the F-35 as well as China’s push to sell its J-35 fifth generation fighter jet in the Asia-Pacific was likely to face stiff competition from US rival the F-35 as well as Monitor developments in Can for further updates.
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China’s push to sell its J-35 fifth generation fighter jet in the Asia-Pacific was likely to face st
China’s push to sell its J-35 fifth generation fighter jet in the Asia-Pacific was likely to face stiff competition from US rival the F-35 as well as cheaper alternatives, military analysts said after the plane featured at this year’s Singapore Airshow.
They said political and economic considerations apart from performance would weigh on potential buyers, and questioned how many countries would want to buy the Chinese plane.
In Singapore this month, the booth operated by China National...
AdvertisementChina's military weaponsChinaMilitaryCan China find a market for its fifth-generation J-35 warplanes?Analysts are uncertain how much demand there will be for the fighter in the face of competition from the US F-35 or cheaper alternativesReading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPSeong Hyeon ChoiPublished: 10:00pm, 21 Feb 2026China’s push to sell its J-35 fifth generation fighter jet in the Asia-Pacific was likely to face stiff competition from US rival the F-35 as well as cheaper alternatives, military analysts said after the plane featured at this year’s Singapore Airshow.They said political and economic considerations apart from performance would weigh on potential buyers, and questioned how many countries would want to buy the Chinese plane.In Singapore this month, the booth operated by China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation, representing the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country’s largest military aerospace company, featured a half-size model of the J-35A, the air force variant of the plane.AdvertisementThe J-35A spent more than a decade under development by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of AVIC. It was officially delivered to the People’s Liberation Army last year, after featuring in a major military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.The J-35 is the PLA’s second fifth-generation fighter jet after the J-20 – which currently is not allowed to be exported – and is widely considered to be China’s answer to Lockheed Martin’s F-35.AdvertisementChina has been promoting the sale of the jets overseas, displaying models at various international defence exhibitions, including last year’s Paris and Dubai air shows.AdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x
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