Unpaid jets, unfinished planes: China’s 50% discounted fighter plane sale to Pakistan; citizens ask who is benefiting?

Beijing’s fast track delivery plan of 30 J-35A stealth fighter jets to Pakistan at half the price triggered a storm of backlash across Chinese social media platforms. The move, which would mark China’s first export of a fifth-generation combat aircraft, is being widely criticised as financially and strategically reckless. The deal is expected to begin deliveries in August 2025. However, the decision has left many Chinese citizens baffled and angry, especially as the J-35A, also known as the FC-31, is still undergoing testing and has not even yet been inducted into China’s own air force.One user, posting under the handle @Zhejiang from the Yingyang Medical School, asked, “Pakistan has also made a lot of fake news. How can it afford to buy it? It hasn’t even paid for the J-10.”The comment refers to Pakistan’s pending payments for earlier J-10C fighter jets purchased from China.Another user, @CQL0530, criticised Beijing’s production priorities, “China’s own production of the J-35 has not yet been built up. How can it be given to them?”Some users dispensed with any diplomacy. “Bullshit!” wrote another user, quoted by ET.The phrase “2 more powerful printers are coming,” shared by user Cracked Rose, was interpreted by some as a reference to the government printing more money, or jets, to fund the project.

‘A charity sale’, or ‘strategic leverage’

Beyond the jet’s readiness, the announcement’s timing has also drawn scrutiny. It comes just days after a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, prompting Indian analysts to see the deal as China arming Pakistan amid renewed cross-border tensions.Back home, users are questioning whether the government is, in effect, subsidising a military client state with limited ability to pay. “It is more in your interest to spend money on building and purchasing industrial equipment and infra,” one commenter wrote.The root of concern is whether China is selling a “concept jet,” a fighter still in development, as a finished product. While the J-35 is designed to rival platforms like the US-made F-35, it lacks any combat history or proven capabilities.

A shaky pitch

China previously tried to market the J-10CE, another fighter jet supplied to Pakistan, as “combat-tested”, citing claims from Islamabad that it shot down Indian Rafales during Operation Sindoor. But these claims remained unverified outside Pakistani media and have been met with scepticism.Efforts to sell the J-10CE to countries like Egypt, Brazil, and Uzbekistan have so far failed. Experts point to its reliance on Russian engines, such as the RD-93 and AL-31, which are seen as outdated and increasingly risky given geopolitical tensions and supply chain concerns.Reports suggest that Pakistani pilots are already undergoing training in China to fly the J-35. However, the Chinese government has not issued any official statement on the backlash or confirmed the details of the sale.While India is expected to keep a close eye on how this unfolds, many in China are simply asking, who benefits?If the deal goes ahead, Beijing might frame it as a strategic move to cement influence in the region. But for many ordinary citizens, it’s beginning to look like a high-risk bet, funded by the Chinese taxpayer, on an unfinished aircraft sold to a customer with an unreliable credit record.