A video has surfaced online of a russian Su-57 fighter jet arriving in China to participate in the Airshow China 2024 aerospace exhibition in Zhuhai — the first time this aircraft has flown to China and first official foreign appearance of the Su-57 at such an event.
According to russian sources, the aircraft showcased is likely the pre-production T-50-4 fighter jet prototype, with the bort number 054.
Read more: russia Wanted to Send 2 Out of 13 Tu-160 Bombers to South Africa But Something Went Wrong
Ruská stíhačka páté generace Su-57 , poprvé letěla do Číny, aby se zúčastnila letecké výstavy Airshow China 2024 v Zhuhai. Věříme že tahle ruska chlouba bude brzy sestřelena ukrajinským letectvem. Sláva Ukrajině! pic.twitter.com/AkfDhjgVWj— Future for Ukraine (@FutureFUkraine) November 3, 2024
Kremlin-backed media are already portraying the event as if "China became the first country to which russia sent its fifth-generation fighter jet." However, while russia persists in calling the Su-57 a 5th-gen aircraft, it is more accurately classified as a 4++ generation jet, particularly given its reliance on Kh-59 missiles, which are incompatible with internal weapon compartments.
China knows this all too well. In 2020, russian state-controlled media were outraged when the Chinese publication Global Times omitted the Su-57 from its list of fifth-generation aircraft, which included China's J-20 alongside the American F-22 and F-35. This wasn't just an opinion by the website's editors but the perspective of Yang Wei, the J-20’s chief designer.
Since then, China has made advances in its own aerospace capabilities. According to Chengdu Aerospace Corporation, production of the J-20 with russian engines ceased in mid-2019, and by 2021, China introduced an upgraded J-20A, powered by domestic WS-10C Taihang engines.
By showcasing the Su-57 at a Chinese exhibition for the first time, russia is signaling both to its ally and the global community that this is a combat-proven aircraft. It’s also a likely indication that russia intends to deepen defense industry cooperation with China.
Although Beijing publicly denies accusations of cooperating with Moscow, reports from 2023 indicate China was helping russia to produce weapons for the war in Ukraine. Notable examples include navigation equipment for the Mi-17 helicopters, $1.2 million worth of parts for the Su-35 fighter jet, and components for the 96L6E radar of the S-400 air defense system.
Evidence suggests that this cooperation continues to expand. For example, recent Western media reports claim that russia produced and tested its long-range Garpiya-3 attack drone in China.
Read more: Taiwan Created the Smart Dragon Drone with Torpedo Launchers, Which Would Be Very Useful Against the russian Black Sea Fleet
