According to a media report on Monday, Pakistan plans to procure 40 Chinese J-35 fighter jets. If materialized, this would mark the first export of China’s latest jet.
The sale would mark Beijing’s first export of fourth-generation jets to a foreign ally and is expected to recalibrate regional dynamics, particularly concerning Pakistan’s rival India, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
The Post quoted Pakistan media reports stating that the Pakistan Air Force had approved the purchase of 40 aircraft, expected to be delivered within two years, to replace its ageing fleet of American F-16s and French Mirage fighters.
There is no official confirmation in Beijing or mention of such a deal in the official media here. However, speculation is rife since the J-35, primarily regarded as a jet fighter meant for Chinese aircraft carriers, was exhibited at the prestigious annual air show at Zhuhai City last month, attended by top PAF officials.
According to previous reports, the land-based version of the J-35 was called J-31. China is currently the only country in the region to have developed stealth aircraft.
According to the Post report, PAF chief Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu said in January that the foundation for acquiring the J-31 fighter aircraft had already been laid.
Taliban Problem
Pakistan is facing a perfect storm of internal strife and external pressures that threaten to destabilize the country. The Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, has been gaining strength, posing a direct threat to the state and its citizens through aggressive tactics and high-profile attacks. This resurgence of terrorism has spread fear among the populace, hindering economic recovery efforts and complicating relations with neighbouring countries.
The crisis with India continues to simmer, with ongoing territorial disputes over Kashmir leading to heightened military confrontations and political tensions. The Indo-Pak shelling across the Line of Control has resulted in civilian casualties and exacerbated the humanitarian crisis along the disputed borders. Pakistan’s relationship with Afghanistan is also complex, with concerns about the potential spillover of extremism and instability.
Economic Hurdles
Economically, Pakistan faces significant hurdles, with a debt of approximately USD 131 billion and increasing interest payments straining its foreign reserves. The country relies heavily on loans from China and Saudi Arabia, and the International Monetary Fund loans come with stringent conditions. This debt crisis threatens economic stability and undermines national unity.
The acquisition of new aircraft was pursued despite the severe economic crisis faced by Pakistan.
All-weather allies China and Pakistan shared a deep military relationship shrouded in secrecy. Beijing has been helping the modernisation of all three wings of the Pakistani military as it modernised its own armed forces with billions of dollars of defence expenditure.
Amid fresh reports of the World Bank cancelling a $500 million loan for a clean energy programme, Pakistan’s cash-strapped economy continues to lurch from one crisis to the next as it waits for a bailout. According to Karachi-based The Express Tribune, this fresh cancellation of the World Bank loan comes after Pakistan failed to implement some conditionalities that came with it, including revision of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) power purchase agreements.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif secured a $7 billion package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in September. This deal was accompanied by a commitment to break Pakistan’s long-standing reliance on bailout programmes, which it has used at least 20 times since 1958. Even as Islamabad tried yet another shot at fixing the cash-strapped economy, the country is battling a worsening unemployment crisis and brain drain.
China has helped Pakistan to jointly develop and operate the J-17 Thunder fighter jet, the mainstay of the PAF.
In the last few years, China has delivered four advanced naval frigates to the Pakistan Navy to enable it to play a bigger role alongside its navy in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.
The reports of Pakistan’s plans to acquire China’s latest fighter jets come amid the visit of top PLA General Zhang Youxia to Pakistan last month, during which he held one-on-one talks with Pakistan’s Army chief Gen Asim Munir.
Gen Zhang is Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, the overall command of the Chinese military headed by President Xi Jinping.
A readout issued by the ISPR after the talks said their engagements focused on matters of mutual interest, regional security dynamics, measures for regional stability, and enhancing bilateral defence cooperation .
Gen Zhang’s visit coincided with the arrival of 300 Chinese troops to Pakistan to take part in counter-terrorism drills.
According to Pakistan media reports, China is pressing Pakistan to allow its security firms to protect about 20,000 Chinese personnel working on the projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, who are increasingly coming under attacks from militant groups in Pakistan.
For its part, Pakistan says it has deployed over 30,000 military and para-military personnel to protect the Chinese workers.
Pakistan has been reportedly resisting Beijing’s pressure to deploy Chinese troops over sovereignty concerns, according to the reports.
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