China becomes world's second country to have two types of stealth fighter jets: expert

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force is set to officially debut its new stealth fighter jet, the J-35A, giving observers the first look at a highly anticipated asset that could make China the second country after the U.S. to have two types of stealth fighter jets.

The fighter, an image of which was released during an air force press conference Tuesday, will take part in the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, set for Nov 12-17 in the southern city of Zhuhai.

The J-35A is a mid-size stealth combat plane with multiple roles. Upon its commissioning, China will become the second nation after the United States to have two types of stealth fighter jets in active service.

Currently, the PLA Air Force has deployed a large fleet of J-20 heavy-duty stealth combat aircraft, which started to be commissioned in late 2016.

According to the Aviation Industry Corp of China, which is the country's dominant aircraft maker, the J-35A symbolizes a new milestone in the state-owned conglomerate's endeavor to improve the PLA's arsenal and support its integrated joint combat system.

The new fifth-generation fighter jet was designed by the aircraft maker's Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute and will be used primarily to carry out air combat. The plane can also conduct strikes against targets on land and at sea, the company said.

Defense industry observers said in the future, the J-35A will fight side by side with the J-20 to help secure air superiority.

"The J-20 is a heavy-duty stealth fighter, while the J-35A is a mid-size stealth combat plane with multiple roles. Therefore, the difference between them is that the J-20 is mainly used for air superiority combat missions, while the J-35 is mainly responsible for multiple tasks. For example, it can perform air superiority combat missions, as well as ground and sea assault missions. It can perform a variety of tasks. Therefore, in the future, the J-20 and J-35 can carry out joint operations to seize air superiority and precise strikes on ground or sea targets. A combination of the two will play a very important role in securing air superiority," said Wang Mingzhi, a military expert.

Observers said the J-35 is likely to be designed as a series and may also be used as carrier-based aircraft in the future, which would greatly improve the overall strength of China's sea and air combat.

"The commissioning of stealth aircraft to the air force's equipment series indicates that the Chinese air force's main equipment has further shifted to stealth at a fast pace. In the future warfare, there may be a variety of mission combination modes, including a combination of stealth fighter jets. For example, the J-20 will fight with the J-35 to perform corresponding combat missions. Meanwhile, the J-20 or J-35 can also be combined with other non-stealth combat aircraft. In addition, there will be a very important form, that is, stealth fighters plus unmanned combat air vehicles. A combination of manned and unmanned air vehicles represents a very important development direction of air combat," said Wang.

Popularly known as the Zhuhai Airshow, the biennial event is the country's largest arms show and is recognized as one of the world's most significant defense exhibitions.

China becomes world's second country to have two types of stealth fighter jets: expert

As Peru prepares to host this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in its capital Lima, its historic Chinatown stands ready to showcase the friendship and cultural bond between the two peoples.

The 2024 APEC meeting will be held in the Peruvian cities of Lima, Pisco, and Chiclayo from Nov 10 to Nov 16 under the theme of "Empower. Include. Grow."

Established in the 1850s, Lima's Chinatown, also known as Barrio Chino, has long been a hub of Chinese-Peruvian cultural exchange.

One of the most emblematic examples is chifa cuisine, a unique blend of Chinese and Peruvian ingredients and cooking techniques. According to Luis Yong, owner of the well-known San Joy Lai restaurant, this style of food gradually became popular as Chinese people integrated into local life.

"The Chinese taught how to cook their food. They taught to how to eat and cook eastern food here in Peru, and that is why the chifas were so popular, and that is why it is said here in Chinatown, 'come the rich and the proletarians, the famous and forgotten,'" Yong said.

According to the restaurateur, Lima's Chinatown stands out as a unique community in the country.

"It is the only ethnic neighborhood in Peru, there is no other ethnic neighborhood. Peru has peoples of all races, but there is no Japanese neighborhood, there is no Italian neighborhood, there is no Jewish neighborhood. There is the only Chinese neighborhood in Peru, and it is still going strong, 175 years later," he said.

Peru is now home to thousands of Chinese descendants, known as Tusan, and there are more than 10,000 chifa restaurants across the country. Today, Chinese-inspired dishes like fried rice and chicken noodles have become staples of the Peruvian diet.

"Peru is the most Chinese country in Latin America, and I am not referring to the fact that there are more Chinese immigrants in Peru. I'm referring to its different levels of integration at an economic, political, social, cultural and even biological level," said Gonzalo Paroy, a Peruvian Historian.

Peru’s Chinatown prepares to promote cultural exchange amid APEC summit