China rises from Russian customer to competitor in arms industry

Beijing's ability to package guns and economic deals threatens Moscow's revenue

20210120 J-20

Chinese J-20 stealth fighter jets perform at an airshow in 2018: The military is reportedly replacing the jets' Russian engines with domestic ones. © AP

DIMITRI SIMES JR. Contributing writer

MOSCOW -- In a flashy recruitment video released by China's People's Liberation Army Air Force last week, four J-20 fighters are seen soaring through stormy skies, deftly maneuvering between lightning strikes.

Lost in the dramatic digital imagery was an important detail: For the first time ever, the Chinese jets will be powered by domestically made engines instead of Russian ones.

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