China Has Started Building The J-20 Stealth Fighter

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Washington, D.C. – December 30, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — China Has Started Building The J-20 Stealth Fighter. “China’s Chengdu J-20 fighter has officially entered the early stages of production. The bird you see here is the first production model of the large, stealthy fighter, photographed on the tarmac just days ago. The fighter, marked 2101 on the fuselage, is painted a dull yellow—likely a primer coat. The low rate initial production (LRIP) fighters will likely go to People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) test pilots for flight testing. The prototype’s appearance means that most of the plane is likely frozen, design-wise, with no major changes anticipated. This new change of status puts the roughly at the same development level as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. China developed the J-20 at a positively breakneck pace by the standard of bring a new warplane to bear. The aircraft first flew in January 2011, and by November 2015 the eighth prototype had been flown. By comparison, it took the U.S.—which actually had built a fifth generation fighter before—nearly two decades to develop the F-35.  The plane has enjoyed visible improvements along the way. Prototype 3 featured redesigned air intakes, a less rounded, more angular nose, and an electro-optical targeting system. Prototypes 5 and 6 featured sharper “strakes”—small winglets trailing the wings that mask the engine exhausts from radar. One open question about the new fighters is whether they use Russian or Chinese engines. Prototypes of the J-20 used the Russian AL-31 “Saturn” engine, the same one that powers the Chinese Navy’s J-15 “Flying Shark” carrier-based fighters. But China has poured resources into building its own modern high-performance engines, and ultimately the J-20 is expected to be powered by the locally produced WS-15. But while the J-20 has come along quickly, the engine is still not ready for primetime. Development of the WS-15 has dragged on for nearly 20 years, stymied by a lack of Chinese metallurgical experience. As impressive as it may be that the J-20 is going into production, there are reasons to remain skeptical of this new stealth jet. China is very careful about the information that is released, so outside observers really know only what China wants us to know. There are a lot of unanswered questions. What radar will it use? Why have two aircraft never been sighted in the air together? Is this an air superiority fighter, a penetration bomber, or both?” http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/news/a18758/chinas-j-20-fighter-has-entered-production/

China Passes Sweeping Anti-Terrorism Law With Tighter Grip On Data Flow. “A newly passed and wide-ranging anti-terrorism law that could force foreign tech firms to hand over sensitive information drew criticism Monday from business and human rights groups. Beijing says the law is necessary to prevent terrorist attacks at home and abroad. But critics worry that it could be used to gain access to proprietary or personal information and may be used to muzzle critics. The legislation, which was approved by China’s rubber-stamp parliament late Sunday, also paves the way for China’s army and armed police to conduct counterterrorism operations overseas. The law has attracted pointed criticism from business and rights organizations since it was released in draft form. It also comes less than a week after a French journalist was ordered expelled for reporting on terrorism topics that angered Chinese authorities. “While the Chinese authorities do have a legitimate duty in safeguarding their citizens from violent attacks, passing this law will have some negative repercussions for human rights,” said Patrick Poon, a Hong Kong-based researcher at Amnesty International. “The definition of terrorism and extremism in this law is very vague, and ‘extremist’ behavior could include any criticism of policies, laws and regulations.” In March, President Obama spoke out about draft provisions that would force foreign tech companies to give the Chinese authorities “backdoor” access to their products, share encryption codes and store data in China. “We have made it very clear to them that this is something they are going to have to change if they are to do business with the United States,” Obama told the Reuters news agency. The final version of the law seems to step back from those demands but still stipulates that companies must release “technical interfaces” and assist with decryption should security agencies deem it necessary to avert or investigate a terrorist attack — language unlikely to appease businesses.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/china-passes-sweeping-anti-terrorism-law-with-tighter-grip-on-data-flow/2015/12/28/4ac6fe06-d79b-4c4c-bda9-27f15fabf892_story.html

China’s Armed Drones Appear Built From Stolen Data From US Cyber Intrusions. “China’s vibrant military blogosphere presented a video this month revealing a missile-firing unmanned aerial vehicle in action, dropping bombs against ground targets. The Caihong-4, or CH-4, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is a testament to the remarkable success of China’s military in copying vital high-technology weapons that currently are considered among the most cutting edge arms systems used in modern combat operations for both ground strikes and intelligence-gathering. The one-minute, 37-second online posting shows takeoffs and landings of the drone. It was uploaded to the video-sharing website Youku Dec. 17. According to the blogger who posted it, the video was produced by 11th Academy of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, a drone developer and manufacturer. The drone is shown launching two different types of bombs and the impact of their explosions on the ground. One is labeled a 50 kilogram, satellite-guided bomb and the second is an unguided CS/BBE2 50 kilogram aerial fragmentation bomb. Photo analysis of the CH-4 shows the remote-controlled aircraft is very similar to the US military’s front-line combat UAV, the MQ-9 Reaper. Both aircraft are about the same size and wing-span and both sport identical V-tails, landing gear, imaging pods and propeller-driven rear engines. The only major difference is the Predator’s engine intake is located on top of the aircraft while the CH-4’s is underneath. There is no evidence the Chinese directly stole design information through cyber attacks against the Reaper manufacturer, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. But in the words of a former National Security Agency director, retired Gen. Keith Alexander, the likelihood exists Beijing acquired drone designs and technology through cyber espionage. “There are two types of companies: those that have been hacked, and know it, and those that have been hacked and don’t know it,” Alexander said in a recent speech.”  http://atimes.com/2015/12/chinas-armed-drones-appear-built-from-stolen-data-from-us-cyber-intrusions/

China Orders SOEs To Hire Former Soldiers. “China’s government is promising “jobs for the boys” after ordering state-owned enterprises to employ some of the 300,000 soldiers who are being laid off as part of an ambitious modernisation of the world’s biggest army. As part of the recruitment push, Beijing will assess annually whether SOEs are meeting an existing requirement to reserve 5 per cent of their vacancies for those who have left the People’s Liberation Army, according to Xinhua, the state news agency. The move comes after senior PLA officers raised concerns that the lay-offs, which were announced by President Xi Jinping during a high-profile military parade in September, could provoke social instability. Cutting 300,000 of the PLA’s 2.3m soldiers is one element in a reform package designed to turn it from a mass mobilisation, mostly land-based army into a more professional military, with separate commands for naval, air and strategic rocket forces. But analysts say that forcing SOEs to take up the slack risks undermining President Xi’s push for state companies to become more efficient and underlines the difficulties he faces in trying to force through reforms of everything from the economy to the military. “The SOEs are meant to become more profit-oriented so they have been trying not to hire those without a professional background,” said Arthur Ding, an expert on China’s military at Taiwan’s National Chengchi University. “If this is a mission from Xi Jinping, no doubt they will follow orders. But it will definitely hurt the SOEs’ profitability and internal management.” With more government investment, China’s military has become much better equipped in recent years, acquiring the latest weapons systems including submarines, fighters and the nation’s first aircraft carrier. But while the arrival of new hardware has been welcomed, there is disquiet in the ranks over the proposed cutbacks, which could affect everyone from foot soldiers to generals.” http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/218a3710-adf0-11e5-993b-c425a3d2b65a.html#axzz3viZzwerm

China’s Assertiveness Pushes Vietnam Toward An Old Foe, The United States. “To win friends and open new markets for Chinese companies, Beijing is offering its Asian neighbors tens of billions of dollars in loans and investment. But in Vietnam, the effort is falling flat. China’s aggressive assertion of its maritime territorial claims has alienated many here, and President Xi Jinping’s grand vision of a new Silk Road with China at its center is greeted with scorn and suspicion rather than excitement. The relationship has turned so bad that Vietnam’s Communist Party is tilting more and more toward an old enemy, the United States. And when Xi paid a state visit to Vietnam last month, you could almost feel the chill. Xi was feted with a 21-gun salute and granted a rare invitation to address the country’s National Assembly. His 20-minute speech to his “comrades” in Vietnam was full of poetic references to the two nations’ shared destinies, to how brothers can even “break gold” if their hearts are united. But Xi’s exhortations were met with stony silence and only a smattering of applause at the end. Boredom, indifference and even hostility were written on the faces of his audience. “The atmosphere was very tense,” said one Vietnamese official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. China wants to help its fellow Asian countries build the infrastructure their economies desperately need, under the banner of re-creating ancient Silk Road trade routes and partly channeled through a new Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Vietnam needs the money but fears a hidden agenda. “We are quite suspicious because we don’t know the real objective,” said Tran Truong Thuy, an expert at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, a Foreign Ministry think tank. “Behind its Maritime Silk Road, China can advance its sovereignty propaganda.” In the run-up to Xi’s visit, activists staged several small but rare protests against him, watched but not always disbanded by local police. Eight Vietnamese nongovernmental organizations and 1,700 activists signed an online petition against his trip, while a Facebook campaign gathered thousands more to the cause. In a subtle snub, Xi’s visit was timed to coincide with a visit by the Japanese defense minister, with Hanoi inviting a Japanese warship to dock at Vietnam’s strategic Cam Ranh Bay.”https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/chinas-assertiveness-pushes-vietnam-toward-an-old-foe-the-united-states/2015/12/28/15392522-97aa-11e5-b499-76cbec161973_story.html

The Caucus Brief is a daily publication for Members of Congress and Hill Staffers on China news and information compiled by the office of Congressman Randy Forbes, Founder of the Congressional China Caucus.  Email alex.gray (at) mail.house (dot) gov with tips, comments, or to subscribe/unsubscribe.

Alex Gray (202-225-6365

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