By Ebi Kesiena
China has showed off its increasingly sophisticated air power, including surveillance drones and jets, able to jam hostile electronic equipment with an eye on disputed territories from Taiwan to the South China Sea, and rivalry with the United States.
The country’s biggest air show, in the southern coastal city of Zhuhai, comes as Beijing pushes to meet a 2035 deadline to retool its military for modern warfare.
China still lags the United States in terms of tech and investment in its war machine, but experts say it is narrowing the gap. A US intelligence report this year, flagged China’s growing influence as one of America’s biggest threats.
A prototype of a new surveillance drone able to carry out attacks, the CH-6 was among domestic tech unveiled in Zhuhai.
According to open source intelligence agency, with a wingspan of 20.5 meters (67 feet) and 15.8 meters long, the drone can carry missiles and is designed for surveillance and strike operations.
