China’s new stealth jet fighter rocketed skywards Wednesday as Beijing put on an unprecedented display of openness — and military force — at the country’s premier airshow.
The black J-31 rose in a nearly vertical climb on take-off in Zhuhai before circling back and doing two rolls, in the aircraft’s first announced public appearance.
“It’s the new one,” shouted one spectator.
The plane’s existence has been the subject of rumour and speculation for years, with photographs appearing increasingly frequently on military websites in recent months.
Defence analysts say the J-31 is China’s answer to the United States’ F-35, though the Chinese jet lags behind the American one technologically.
The fighter’s Chinese name is “Falcon Eagle” and it is manufactured by a unit of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), whose defence arm uses the slogan: “We are making the best weapons for guardians of the peace.”
The plane’s debut comes amid tensions between China and its neighbours over territorial disputes, particularly Japan which has feuded with Beijing over a group of islands in the East China Sea.