Just days after signing up for China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Colombia has reportedly been pitched China’s J-10C fighter jets.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is China’s strongest link to the Latin American region, which the United States considers its backyard.
Last week, Colombia became the 23rd Latin American country to join the initiative, demonstrating the strengthening of ties with Beijing. The agreement was signed during Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s visit to China for the China-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States’ (CELAC) forum.
President Petro published a video of the signing of the agreement on X with the caption: “The history of our foreign relations is changing. From now on, Colombia will interact with the entire world on a footing of equality and freedom.”
China is believed to be using its BRI to further its ambition of becoming a world power. However, the US has repeatedly warned Latin American countries about the risks of participating in the initiative, expressing concerns over debt traps, sovereignty, transparency, and strategic influence. It argues that BRI loans come with high interest rates and opaque terms, which can create unpredictable debt situations.
Notably, Colombia’s entry into the BRI comes months after a tense diplomatic standoff between the US and Colombia in January 2025.
President Petro refused to accept deportation flights of illegal immigrants aboard a US military aircraft. Donald Trump responded to the refusal with sweeping threats, including 25% tariffs. The impasse was eventually resolved, but the tussle exposed cracks in the relationship.
At the same time, ties between Colombia and China are strengthening. China is already Colombia’s second-largest trading partner. Beijing could use the existing economic cooperation to invite Colombia into the BRI.
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In addition to the BRI, there are claims that China has also proposed selling two dozen J-10CE Vigorous Dragon fighter jets to Colombia. This was first reported by Infodefensa, which tracks military development in the Latin American region.
The EurAsian Times could not independently verify the report, and neither China nor Colombia has officially acknowledged an offer. However, China has been pushing the aircraft for export to friendly countries for quite some time.
This push may have received additional momentum amid the aircraft’s alleged participation in the recent India-Pakistan conflict. Pakistan has made unverified claims that its J-10C armed with long-range PL-15E missiles shot down multiple Indian jets.
These claims, amplified by the Chinese state media, have been effectively debunked by Indian and European military experts in the past week. However, unbothered by the veracity of the Pakistani claims, China may have gone on a marketing spree by banking on the fighter’s performance against the Indian Air Force.
Some reports have claimed that the Colombian President spoke with the Colombian Air Force Commander about the aircraft’s capabilities and asked him to assess whether or not it was feasible to purchase.
If an offer had indeed been made, it would have presented a tricky situation for Colombia, which announced last month that it would purchase Saab Gripen-E fighters to replace its aging Kfir fighter jets. Colombia and the Swedish government signed a Letter of Intent (LoI).
It is pertinent to note that the Gripen-E is powered by American engines, which has prompted concerns that the US could eventually veto its sale to Colombia if tensions further escalate between the two countries. In fact, even if a purchase goes through, Washington could still halt the supply of spare parts to Colombia, thus, curtailing its operations.
China is allegedly exploiting these concerns. According to some reports, China offered the J-10C to Colombia, asserting that the aircraft had already been combat-tested. It also reportedly assured Colombian President Petro that China would not veto the deployment of the aircraft or withhold spare parts.
EurAsian Times could not independently verify these claims.
Besides Gripen, two other aircraft—the US-origin F-16 and the French Rafale—were also reportedly in the reckoning, which makes the Chinese offer of J-10C at this stage even more intriguing.
J-10C Offer
The J-10CE offer appears to be yet another strategic pitch by China to gain a foothold in Latin America and replace the United States as the region’s main arms supplier.
Earlier, China had offered Argentina the JF-17 Block III aircraft developed jointly with Pakistan. It was optimistic about a purchase, particularly since the Argentine Embassy in China announced in March 2024 that it was seriously considering the JF-17 fighters.
However, the US stepped in and offered its second-hand F-16 fighter jets to Argentina instead. In what came as a rude shock to China, the Argentine government ultimately chose the decommissioned Danish F-16 fighter over the brand-new JF-17 Block III.
Though it was seen as a victory for the US, it did not deter China. In January 2025, Beijing reportedly offered the J-10C to Brazil, another Latin American country. While the talks did not proceed after the initial offer, it demonstrated that China was determined to sell its fighter jets in Latin America.
The J-10C is frequently likened to upgraded US F-16 Fighting Falcon variants. Like the F-16, its fly-by-wire flight control system uses a computer to maintain its extremely agile, aerodynamically unstable airframe.
It has an indigenous AESA radar, imaging infrared seeker (IIR), WS-10B engine, and PL-15 air-to-air missiles. It 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.
The aircraft 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.
The Chinese J-10C and Swedish Gripen-E are comparable aircraft, with a few notable differences. For instance, the Gripen has a maximum speed of Mach 2, compared to Mach 1.8 of the J-10CE. Additionally, it has a combat range of about 2,800 kilometres, compared to the J-10C’s 2,600 kilometres.
The J-10C, however, boasts a better thrust than the Gripen. With the afterburner, the J-10C has a thrust of 14,000 kg, compared to the 9,800 kg thrust of the Gripen-E. Moreover, the Chinese aircraft is also cheaper than the Swedish jet.
Despite the J-10C’s cutting-edge features, Colombia may not select the Chinese option if the country prioritises interoperability with Brazilian Gripen jets over a new foreign aircraft.
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