ZHUHAI, China – Stealth fighter jets and attack drones took center stage at the official opening of China’s largest air show on Nov. 12, a chance for Beijing to show off its growing military might to both potential customers and rivals.

China has poured resources into modernizing and expanding its aviation capabilities as it confronts the United States and others over regional flashpoints such as Taiwan.

Record numbers of Chinese fighter jets In recent years, troops have been sent around the self-governed democratic island, which Beijing claims as its territory.

The star of the Airshow China, which every two years showcases Beijing’s civil and military aerospace sector in the southern city of Zhuhai, is the New J-35A stealth fighter plane..

Its inclusion in the air show suggests it is almost ready to enter operation, which would make China the only country besides the United States to have two stealth fighters in action, experts said.

The J-35A is lighter than China’s existing model, the J20, and its design is more similar to that of an American F-35.

A group of J20s performed an exhibition flight on the morning of November 12, flying in a diamond formation across a gray sky.

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The air show will feature an area dedicated to drones for the first time, reflecting their growing prominence in war zones, including Ukraine.

The SS-UAV, a massive mothership that can quickly release swarms of smaller drones to gather intelligence as well as conduct attacks, will be displayed in Zhuhai, according to the South China Morning Post.

In October, the United States revealed sanctions targeting China-based companies linked to the production of drones that Russia has deployed in Ukraine.

Moscow and Beijing have deepened military and defense ties since Russia’s invasion of its neighbor three years ago, and its Security Council secretary Sergei Shoigu will visit Zhuhai.

The focus of the fair in 2024 is squarely on the military sector, as it coincides with the 75th anniversary of the PLAAF, but China’s burgeoning space industry will also showcase its innovations.

A model of a locally made reusable space cargo shuttle will debut at the fair, Xinhua reported on November 11.

Called Haoloong, the shuttle is designed to be launched on a commercial rocket and then dock with China’s Tiangong space station.

“It can re-enter the atmosphere, fly and land horizontally at a designated airport, allowing for its recovery and reuse,” Xinhua said.

Beijing has invested huge resources in its space program over the past decade in an effort to catch up with traditional space powers, the United States and Russia. AFP