China's new J10-C jet fails to make European debut in Paris – DW – 06/19/2025
China's much-touted J-10C fighter jet never landed at the Paris Air Show, yet its absence is the talk of Le Bourget. Only scale models and unanswered questions on price, performance and support remain.
The Paris Air Show, renowned as the world's premier aviation event, showcases every major deal, rivalry, and new aircraft. However, visitors were disappointed when China's highly anticipated J-10C fighter jet did not make its European debut, with only a model displayed instead. Despite its competitive price of around 43 million euros, significantly lower than Western counterparts like the Dassault Rafale and Lockheed Martin F-35, the J-10C's dependency on Chinese parts and systems raises concerns about supply chain reliability under potential sanctions. While Western powers are cautious, countries with closer ties to China, such as Indonesia, Cairo, and Bogotá, find the cost savings and long-term credit offers appealing.
This video summary was created by AI from the original DW script. It was edited by a journalist before publication.
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