Zhuhai Airshow helping nation reach for the skies

The 14th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, China's largest air show, better known as the Zhuhai Airshow, is being held in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, from Tuesday to Sunday.

More than 740 enterprises from 43 countries and regions will participate in the show both online and offline. The J-20 stealth fighter jet, China's top combat aircraft and also one of the world's most advanced fighter jets, is likely to be on display for the first time, along with a number of domestic civil aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles. The J-20 has participated in earlier air shows in Zhuhai and flown in military parades, but has never been exhibited so close to the public.

That China has organized two air shows in two consecutive years, attracting a large number of global aerospace exhibitors at a time when a raging COVID-19 pandemic has canceled or delayed many domestic and foreign exhibitions, marks China's huge contribution to the global aviation and aerospace industry's development.

The Zhuhai Airshow serves as a platform for China to showcase its latest developments in aerospace technology. When the first Zhuhai Airshow opened in the autumn of 1996, it was very small in scale, the exhibits being mostly aerospace products made with Russian technology. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, the show has been showcasing China's inspiring transformation from a weak country in aerospace to a leading aerospace power.

China's air force was the original promoter of the air show. It is now a major participant, reflecting its growing military transparency and increased willingness to pursue cooperation with other countries. Nowadays, the airshow not only attracts the participation of aerospace and military enterprises from around the world, but also captures the attention of an increasing number of military lovers and even ordinary people.

As pointed out in the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the comprehensive construction of China into a modern socialist country must be based on a high level of scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement. Past achievements only offer a new starting point for new achievements to be made. It is hoped that every Zhuhai Airshow in the future will display to the Chinese people the country's continuing progress and endless explorations of aerospace technology.