In the last week of December 2024, China suddenly conducted simultaneous daylight test flights of two stealth fighters, sparking a public outcry. Many speculated that these were China's sixth-generation fighters, particularly the tailless, stealth, three-engine configuration tested by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, which was believed to be a hypersonic, low-orbit fighter, seemingly poised to challenge the United States' technological leadership in this field.
Combined with the fact that China launched its first advanced Type 076 straight-deck amphibious assault ship at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Chongming almost at the same time, no one would doubt that a fierce arms race has begun, the military balance in the Western Pacific region appears extremely fragile, and regional security is facing a huge test.
Although it cannot be ruled out that the display of these advanced equipment and the earlier large-scale exercises of the Chinese Navy in the East China Sea were intended to gain some kind of dialogue advantage by showing force before Trump took office, thereby conducting a high-cost psychological warfare, it is undeniable that China not only demonstrated its absolute advantage within the first island chain, but also showed that it is developing advanced low-orbit capabilities, which may weaken or offset the United States' larger air superiority.
