Banking on unconfirmed reports of the Chinese fighter jet J-10C’s combat success in the recent India-Pakistan war, China is trying to attract buyers for the export variant of the aircraft at the LIMA 2025 defense exhibition that kicked off on May 20 in Langkawi, Malaysia.
China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC) is displaying its top aviation products, including the J-10CE and FC-31 fighter jets, at LIMA 2025.
According to the report, the CATIC booth witnessed a significant footfall of visitors who were keen on examining these fighter jets.
Some popular Chinese accounts on the social media site X published photos of Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, visiting the Chinese booth.
A popular Chinese journalist commented on X: All of a sudden, Chinese fighter jet J-10CE, the export version of J-10 got much attention at the 2025 Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) in Malaysia. The #J10CE jet also got the attention from Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Zahid.
However, these speculations could be a stretch given that it is not unusual for the host country’s leadership to visit the booths of participating countries.
While Malaysia has been cozying up with China in recent times despite the persisting territorial conflict between the two countries, it has officially communicated any interest in the Chinese J-10C fighter so far.
The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) currently operates the Su-30MKM, a tailored variant of the Russian Su-30, and the American F/A-18 Hornets. It has also recently acquired the South Korean FA-50 Light Attack Aircraft.
China has been aggressively promoting the J-10C in the export market. Though the J-10C has essentially become the poster child of China’s indigenous combat aviation, alongside the J-20 stealth aircraft, it has been unable to stimulate buyer interest. So far, Pakistan is the only buyer of this 4.5th-generation aircraft.
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Several reports have claimed that countries like Egypt and Colombia were contemplating purchasing the aircraft. However, neither state has officially confirmed a potential purchase.
In addition to the J-10C, China is also promoting the FC-31 at LIMA 2025. The J-10C and FC-31 were earlier sent to the UAE expo in February 2025.
The FC-31 is a stealthy fifth-generation fighter jet developed solely for export. China’s own J-35A stealth aircraft, unveiled in November 2024, is based on the FC-31.
Chinese experts earlier noted that the FC-31 would be a great alternative for countries that want a fifth-generation aircraft but cannot obtain the US F-35 Lightning II due to Washington’s security restrictions.
The Chinese booth is also displaying models of the Y-20 strategic transport aircraft, the Y-9 tactical transport aircraft, the Z-10 attack helicopter, and the Z-9 multirole helicopter.
Fu said China is showcasing a wide range of aviation equipment systems that can satisfy the various needs of prospective foreign customers. The booth demonstrates how China’s aviation sector is expanding in all directions and providing a wide range of goods.
However, despite the presence of all this cutting-edge Chinese equipment on display, the J-10C continues to create the buzz.
Using Unverified Claims To Sell J-10CE
China’s attempts to export the J-10C aircraft have received fresh momentum after Pakistan claimed that it had used J-10CE fighter jets armed with PL-15 long-range air-to-air missiles to down multiple Indian fighter jets, including three French-origin Rafales.
These claims were made without furnishing crucial evidence and remain unsubstantiated more than ten days after the two sides agreed to a ceasefire.
India has not admitted any combat jet losses so far, even though it said losses are part of combat. All our pilots are back.
Pakistan’s claims were extensively amplified by the Chinese state media even while the conflict was still ongoing, prompting Indian authorities to withhold the X account of Chinese state media, Global Times in India. While the account was eventually restored, China has unapologetically continued to exploit the situation.
Though Indian and European military experts have effectively debunked the Pakistani claims since the conflict ended, Beijing has seized on the situation to go on a marketing spree. For instance, the Global Times report stated: “Recently, China’s made-for-export J-10CE fighter jet has been under the spotlight, with major media outlets having focused on the news that the J-10CE has recently achieved its first real combat success,” without directly referring to the India-Pakistan conflict.
Speaking to the Global Times, Chinese military affairs specialist Fu Qianshao stressed that the J-10CE is a combat-tested aircraft. He emphasized that the aircraft possesses powerful beyond-visual-range combat capabilities with its sophisticated radar and avionics systems and PL-15E missile.
“With the J-10CE being a top-class fighter jet, many countries could consider procuring it to modernize their warplane fleet,” he added.
Another Chinese military expert, Wang Ya’nan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, underscored the aircraft’s reliability, citing its wide deployment by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
The J-10C is a 4.5th-generation multi-role combat aircraft that features state-of-the-art capabilities, including electronic warfare, computerized glass cockpit instruments, precise air-to-ground strike, beyond-visual-range combat, and in-flight refueling.
It has an indigenous AESA radar, imaging infrared seeker (IIR), WS-10B engine, and PL-15 air-to-air missiles. Additionally, the aircraft features a fly-by-wire flight control system that uses a computer to maintain its extremely agile, aerodynamically unstable airframe.
The J-10C is capable of all-weather operations. Its primary role is air-to-air combat, but it can also perform strike missions. Chinese experts have hailed the aircraft as a game changer for combat, often citing its improved sensors and weapons for visual and beyond-visual-range engagements and its reduced radar signature as a hedge over its global rivals. It also has a forward-looking infrared and laser target designator pod, which was created to facilitate the use of weapons guided by satellite navigation and lasers.
China has been promoting the J-10C as a better alternative to the US F-16 Fighting Falcons, the European Eurofighter Typhoon, and the French Rafale for quite some time now.
It has been actively capitalizing on its aircraft’s cost-competitiveness, with each unit costing around US$40–50 million. It now remains to be seen whether China can convert the soaring popularity of its aircraft into actual sales, particularly since most countries in the Southeast Asian region remain at loggerheads with Beijing over territorial disputes.
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