The first flight of China's Chengdu J-20 fighter early last month sent a ripple of excitement and interest around the world, on a scale not seen since perhaps the first appearance of the MiG-29 'Fulcrum1 at Farnborough in 1988. Though the capabilities of the fighter (or technology demonstrator) are yet unknown, it is further proof of China's far-reaching and rapid military modernisation that also includes aircraft carriers, anti-satellite weapons and cyberwarfare. Yet perhaps the most significant threat (or opportunity) represented by the J-20 is not as a weapons system - but the industrial, engineering and manufacturing potential it highlights. Both Boeing and EADS leaders have already acknowledged this coming competitor in both civil and military aerospace. As Professor Keith Hayward notes on page 22, China's aerospace plans do not involve just supplying aircraft and systems to its own domestic market - it seeks to become a powerhouse on a global scale too.
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