@Aya Shawn
Living in Singapore, professional investorApr 19
China has a long history of purchasing military aircraft.
In fact, Chinese people do not prefer Russian products. They always buy what they think is the best choice.
Before 1979, China generally belonged to the Soviet bloc and was a country within NATO restrictions. It was impossible for them to purchase fighter jets from the United States. At that time, China's technological level was still relatively backward, so the only option was to purchase and license the production of Soviet fighter jets. For example, aircraft such as MIG21 MIG19.
From 1979 to 1989, relations between China and the United States eased, and relations with the Soviet unx were worse. They no longer had access to the latest fighter jets from the Soviet unx. But the United States began to open arms sales to China.


中国购买军用飞机的历史悠久。
事实上，中国人并不偏爱俄罗斯产品，他们总是购买他们认为最好的产品。
1979年之前，中国总体上属于苏联集团，是北约限制内的国家，他们不可能从美国购买战斗机，当时中国的技术水平还比较落后，所以唯一的选择就是购买和授权生产苏联战斗机。例如米格21、米格19这样的飞机。
1979年至1989年，中美关系缓和，与苏联关系恶化，不再能得到苏联最新的战斗机，但美国开始对中国开放军售。

Lockheed Martin displays F16 in Beijing
During this period, China purchased many Black Hawk helicopters from the American Hughes Company. The Americans also transported F16, Chinook and other military aircraft to China for display, hoping that China would buy them. Grumman had planned to sell F14 to China too
But China was too poor at the time, and their budget couldn't afford these American goods.

洛克希德·马丁公司在北京展示 F16
这一时期，中国向美国休斯公司购买了多架黑鹰直升机，美国人还把F16、支奴干等军机运到中国展示，希望中国购买。格鲁曼公司也曾计划向中国出售F14
但当时中国太穷了，他们的预算根本买不起这些美国商品。

Chinese J8II fighter jet in Grumman workshop
They chose to hand over the Soviet aircraft they built to Grumman for upgrades, which would be cheaper.
If the relationship between China and the United States can continue until China's economy takes off, then it should be normal to see a large number of F16s and F35s in the Chinese military.
However, after the collapse of the Soviet unx, Sino-US relations were severed again, and all cooperation was terminated.
Fortunately, poor Russia, desperate for Chinese money, re-established relations with their Chinese comrades. This caused China to turn to Russia again. This time they purchased a large number of SU27 fighters and later SU30 fighters.
These purchases occurred in the 1990s.
However, after the 1990s, China's own aviation industry has developed rapidly. They not only copied the SU27 aircraft, but also successfully upgraded it. At the same time, its self-developed J10 fighter jets, J20 fighter jets, JF-17 fighter jets and other products have also been successfully mass-produced.
By the beginning of the 21st century, China basically only imported some aviation engines. No more large quantities of fighter jets from any country.
After 2010, they rarely even import aircraft engines.
China has now become an independent aviation power. They develop and produce fifth-generation fighter jets themselves and have begun exporting them to their allies.

中国歼-8II战斗机在格鲁曼工厂
他们选择将自己制造的苏联飞机交给格鲁曼公司进行升级，这样更便宜。
如果中美关系能够持续到中国经济起飞，那么中国军队中出现大量F16、F35应该是很正常的事。
但苏联解体后，中美关系再次断绝，一切合作终止。
幸运的是，贫穷的俄罗斯急需中国的钱，于是重新与中国同志建立关系。这导致中国再次转向俄罗斯。这次他们购买了大批SU27战斗机，后来又购买了SU30战斗机。
这些购买发生在20世纪90年代。
不过进入90年代以后，中国自身的航空工业发展迅速，不仅仿制了苏27飞机，还成功对其进行了升级改造，同时其自主研发的歼10战斗机、歼20战斗机、枭龙战斗机等产品也都成功量产。
到了21世纪初，中国基本上只进口一些航空发动机，没有再从任何国家大批量进口战斗机。
2010年以后，他们甚至很少进口航空发动机。
中国现在已经成为一个独立的航空强国，他们自己研发和生产第五代战斗机，并开始向盟友出口。