China’s alleged plan to give Pakistan 30 J-35A fifth-generation stealth fighter jets at a 50% discount by August 2025 has sparked a flurry of criticism on Chinese social media, with people publicly doubting the move’s strategic and financial viability. Many have called the agreement a “charity sale” to a financially precarious neighbor that still owes money for past defense purchases, and it would be China’s first export of a fifth-generation combat aircraft.
Particularly outspoken Chinese internet users have expressed their shock that Beijing would put exporting an unproven, in-testing aircraft—one that hasn’t even been accepted into the People’s Liberation Army Air Force—above local requirements. Many users pointed to Pakistan’s reliance on IMF financing and its past-due payments for older Chinese aircraft, such the J-10C, as proof that Islamabad cannot afford such cutting-edge weapons. “How can it afford to buy it?” posed a direct question from one user. Others questioned why China’s own production of the J-35 has not been increased before exporting it, while others criticized the government’s manufacturing goals, saying it hasn’t even paid for the J-10.
Further animosity over the financial burden on Chinese taxpayers was stoked when the widely circulated statement on Chinese platforms, “2 more powerful printers are coming,” was understood as a satirical reference to either increasing jet production or symbolically “printing money” to subsidize the transaction.
The uproar has been heightened by the announcement’s timing, which came just days after a horrific terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir. While Chinese residents wonder if their government is really subsidizing weaponry for a client state with a bad credit history, Indian analysts interpret the move as Beijing arming its partner against Indian forces. Many contend that rather of dangerous armament exports, the funds would be better used for domestic infrastructure and industrial improvements.
The J-35A, also called the FC-31, has not yet been officially accepted into China’s air force and is still undergoing testing. The Chinese stealth fighter is still pre-operational, in contrast to the American F-35, which has received hundreds of operational deliveries. Notwithstanding the aircraft’s lack of combat experience and verified specs, critics claim that China is taking a risk by marketing it abroad through the Pakistani purchase. According to experts, the J-35 is being marketed as a concept rather than a tested platform, even though it may potentially have sophisticated sensors and integrated battlefield communication systems.
The seriousness of the transfer is demonstrated by reports that Pakistani pilots are already receiving training in China to fly the J-35s. The Chinese government and state media, however, have not responded to the mounting criticism, neither confirming nor refuting the specifics of the agreement. Given the timing and magnitude of the discount, India is likely to perceive the sale as a component of a larger Chinese attempt to tip the regional power balance.
Although the domestic reaction has been largely hostile, Beijing may view the discounted sale as a long-term strategic investment to strengthen its partnership with Pakistan and demonstrate its most recent military technologies. Chinese people are posing challenging queries: Why send an unproven weapon to a nation with precarious finances? Why give it such a large discount? And who pays the price in the end? Although the purchase is still cloaked in official quiet, the domestic response is evident, with many people seeing it as a highly subsidized, high-risk bet that was funded by Chinese taxpayers.
