China has made major strides in building a domestically self-sufficient arms industry, narrowing long-standing technological gaps with the United States and other Western powers, according to a detailed report by the Wall Street Journal. New generations of jet engines, warships, missiles, and aircraft signal a turning point in Beijing’s decades-long effort to free itself from reliance on foreign military technology.
A central symbol of that push is the Aero Engine Corp. of China, or AECC, a state-backed aerospace conglomerate launched in 2016 with a mandate to solve one of China’s most persistent military weaknesses: advanced aircraft engines. For decades, Chinese fighter jets relied heavily on Russian-made or licensed engines, limiting performance and operational independence. Less than ten years later, China’s newest stealth fighters are entering service with engines designed and produced domestically, what Chinese officials describe as having “Chinese hearts.”
The Wall Street Journal notes that this progress reflects a broader transformation in China’s defense sector. Once the world’s largest arms importer, China has sharply reduced its dependence on foreign suppliers and has fallen out of the top ten global arms buyers, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. At the same time, Beijing has become the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter, trailing only the US, France, and Russia.
China’s growing ability to produce advanced weaponry aligns closely with President Xi Jinping’s vision of national self-reliance. Xi has repeatedly argued that China must reduce vulnerabilities to Western pressure across critical sectors, from food and energy to semiconductors and defense. Military self-sufficiency, analysts say, is central to Beijing’s goal of preventing strategic coercion in a potential great-power conflict.
The report details how China closed many of its technology gaps through a mix of heavy state investment, industrial reorganization, and aggressive acquisition of foreign know-how. Western officials and analysts cited by the Wall Street Journal say espionage and reverse-engineering played a role, pointing to cyberattacks and intellectual property theft targeting US and allied defense firms. China has consistently denied such accusations.
Structural reforms also proved decisive. Beijing consolidated fragmented and inefficient state defense firms, pooling talent and resources into new giants such as AECC and merging shipbuilders to create the world’s largest naval construction enterprise. Billions of dollars were poured into research partnerships with universities and private firms, while technologies such as artificial intelligence were introduced to accelerate design and testing cycles.
One of the clearest payoffs has been in aviation. Chinese-made engines are now powering newer variants of fighters such as the J-10, J-11, J-20, and the newer J-35 stealth fighter, often compared to the US F-35. While US engines remain superior in reliability and lifespan, industry experts told the Journal that Chinese propulsion technology is improving rapidly. New Chinese engines are also being fitted to transport aircraft like the Y-20, replacing Russian models.
China’s weapons have also begun to prove themselves in real-world scenarios. The Wall Street Journal highlighted a recent clash between Pakistan and India in which Chinese-made J-10 fighters, operated by Pakistan, reportedly shot down Indian aircraft using Chinese radar-guided missiles. While details remain disputed, analysts say the incident suggests Chinese systems can no longer be dismissed as second-rate.
Beyond aviation, China has surged ahead in naval production. From 2015 to 2024, China launched more than twice as many warships as the United States, giving it the world’s largest navy by number of vessels. Its newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, commissioned in November, is the first fully designed and built domestically and features electromagnetic catapults comparable to those used by the US Navy.
Despite these advances, analysts caution that China’s military modernization is not complete. Older Soviet- and Russian-designed platforms remain in service, and some aircraft and helicopters still rely on foreign technology. Even so, experts say the trajectory is unmistakable. Xi’s long-term ambition, according to scholars cited by the Wall Street Journal, is not merely to catch up with the United States, but to eventually challenge it for global military leadership.
As China continues to refine its indigenous weapons and expand exports, the report concludes that the balance of military-industrial power is shifting, with implications that will shape global security for decades to come.
