the Former King of Cambodia , HM ex - King Norodom Sihanouk , has passed away in the early hours of the 15 th October 2012

[when does a Chinese deny a Chinese is a Chinese , ? when a Chinese claims to be a Malaysian]

the Former King of Royal Kingdom of Cambodia ,
His Majesty ex - King Norodom Sihanouk who
was the Father of the present existing King of Cambodia ,
His Majesty King Sihamoni ,
has passed away in the early hours of the 15th October
2012 .


ex - King Norodom Sihanouk played a prominent role in the
Vietnam War 1970 ,
and ( at that time ) prince Norodom Sihanouk caused
the American Failure
and the American Capitulation in the Vietnam War , by
simply having agreed to be used by China for the purpose
of associating
Norodom Sihanouk , a Royal Prince of Cambodia , with the
Khmer Rebels ,
who were fighting the US backed LON NOL government in
Phnom Penh .


The Chinese Communist Party used at that time
( still as a Khmer prince ) Prince Norodom Sihanouk ,
to act as a catalyst for the Down Fall of the Lon Nol
government ,
the Down Fall of the Lon Nol government in Cambodia
induced the South Vietnamese soldiers to loose confidence
in the American MILITARY support in South Vietnam .

So very quickly after the Down Fall of the Lon Nol
government in
Phnom Penh in April 1975 , the Down Fall of the South
Vietnamese government
quickly followed two to three months later in 1975 .



the correct Khmer pronunciation of the Khmer name Sihanouk
is Say Ha Nouk , not Si Ha Nouk .


Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore knew King Norodom Sihanouk
well ,
they are from the same generation .

so will Lee Kuan Yew follow King Norodom Sihanouk soon ?


How about the Very Old Siamese King in Thailand ?


and in Japan ,..and the White Queen in the UK ,?

they are all of the same generation .

[when does a Chinese deny a Chinese is a Chinese , ? when a Chinese claims to be a Malaysian]

the source of the News of
the DEATH of the ex - KING NORODOM SIHANOUK of Cambodia
in the early hours of the 15th October 2012
is
from AFP .


Prince Norodom Sihanouk called the Khmer Rebels in
the jungles of Cambodia as Khmer Rouge whose
leader was POL POT , who was an adopted son of the CPC ,
Communist Party of China.











Oct 15, 6:10 am, "when does a Chinese deny a Chinese is a
Chinese , ? when a Chinese claims to be a Malaysian"

the  Former  King  of   Royal  Kingdom  of  Cambodia  ,
His  Majesty  ex - King  Norodom  Sihanouk   who
 was  the  Father   of  the  present  existing  King of  Cambodia ,
His  Majesty King  Sihamoni ,
has  passed  away  in the  early  hours  of  the  15th  October
2012 .
ex - King  Norodom  Sihanouk  played  a  prominent   role   in the
Vietnam  War  1970 ,
and   (   at  that  time   )  prince  Norodom   Sihanouk  caused
the   American  Failure
and   the  American   Capitulation    in   the  Vietnam  War ,   by
simply   having  agreed  to  be used  by  China  for  the  purpose
of    associating
Norodom  Sihanouk  ,  a Royal   Prince  of  Cambodia   ,   with  the
Khmer  Rebels  ,
who  were  fighting  the  US  backed  LON  NOL    government  in
Phnom  Penh .
The  Chinese  Communist  Party  used  at  that  time
 (  still   as  a  Khmer  prince  )  Prince  Norodom  Sihanouk ,
to  act  as  a  catalyst  for  the  Down  Fall  of  the  Lon  Nol
government   ,
the  Down  Fall  of  the   Lon Nol   government in  Cambodia
induced    the  South  Vietnamese  soldiers  to  loose  confidence
in  the  American    MILITARY  support  in  South  Vietnam .
So  very  quickly  after  the  Down Fall  of  the  Lon  Nol
government in
Phnom  Penh in  April  1975 ,  the  Down  Fall  of  the  South
Vietnamese  government
quickly  followed  two  to     three   months  later   in   1975  .
the  correct   Khmer   pronunciation  of  the  Khmer  name  Sihanouk
is  Say Ha Nouk  ,  not  Si  Ha  Nouk  .
Lee  Kuan  Yew     in  Singapore  knew  King  Norodom  Sihanouk
well ,
they  are  from the  same  generation .
so  will  Lee  Kuan  Yew  follow   King  Norodom  Sihanouk  soon  ?
How  about  the  Very Old Siamese   King  in  Thailand  ?
and  in    Japan  ,..and  the  White  Queen  in the  UK  ,?
they     are   all     of  the  same  generation .

[rst9]

As I remember it, he was deposed while in Beijing.
And he lived in Beijing for awhile.

[Coptic Priest Zakaria Boutros ( Botros ) , the instigator for the film Innocences of the Muslims]

ex - King Norodom Sihanouk died in Beijing on 15 th
October 2012.



I remember Chinese helped our Egyptian Air Force with Chinese
New jet engines
before the Chinese helped the Khmer military .



btw .
Prince Norodom Sihanouk was annoyed with President Sukarno of
Indonesia who was infatuated with Prince Norodom Sihanouk 's
wife Princess Monique Monireath ,
when Prince Sihanouk went
to Bandung in Indonesia with his wife Princess Monique ,
to attend to Non - Aligned Nations Meeting .



Princess Monique is half Italian and half Khmer mixed
blood ,

Italian from her father 's side and Khmer from her mother's
side .

but Arab kings and sultans looked down on the Khmer Prince
Sihanouk ,
that is Why the Khmer Prince Sihanouk was more favorable
to the Jewish state Israel .

Post by rst9
As I remember it, he was deposed while in Beijing.
And he lived in Beijing for awhile.

[rst9]

On Oct 14, 7:45 pm, "Coptic Priest Zakaria Boutros ( Botros ) , the
instigator for the film Innocences of the Muslims"

ex - King   Norodom  Sihanouk    died  in   Beijing   on  15  th
October  2012.
I  remember  Chinese  helped  our  Egyptian  Air Force  with  Chinese
New  jet  engines

Well, that's a change of direction. Not too long ago,
you kept harping on China can't even make their own jet
engine, and must buy jet engines from Russia.

Are their jet engine any good? fast? powerful?

before  the  Chinese  helped  the  Khmer  military  .
btw  .
Prince  Norodom  Sihanouk  was  annoyed  with  President  Sukarno  of
 Indonesia  who  was  infatuated  with  Prince  Norodom  Sihanouk 's
wife  Princess   Monique  Monireath  ,
 when  Prince  Sihanouk  went
to  Bandung  in  Indonesia  with  his  wife  Princess  Monique  ,
  to attend  to  Non - Aligned  Nations  Meeting .
Princess   Monique   is  half  Italian and  half  Khmer  mixed
blood  ,
Italian from her  father 's  side   and  Khmer  from  her  mother's
side  .
but  Arab  kings  and  sultans  looked  down  on the  Khmer  Prince
Sihanouk ,
that  is  Why  the    Khmer  Prince  Sihanouk  was  more  favorable
to  the  Jewish  state Israel .

Post by rst9
As I remember it, he was deposed while in Beijing.
And he lived in Beijing for awhile.

[Coptic Priest Zakaria Boutros ( Botros ) , the instigator for the film Innocences of the Muslims]

rst9


don ' t confuse jet engine for an outdated MIG jet with a
new up to date jet engines Nowaday .

Chinese gave the Egyptians some converted Russian engines
still un--used in China .

On Oct 14, 7:45 pm, "Coptic  Priest  Zakaria Boutros ( Botros ) , the
instigator for  the  film   Innocences  of  the  Muslims"

ex - King   Norodom  Sihanouk    died  in   Beijing   on  15  th
October  2012.
I  remember  Chinese  helped  our  Egyptian  Air Force  with  Chinese
New  jet  engines

Well, that's a change of direction.  Not too long ago,
you kept harping on China can't even make their own jet
engine, and must buy jet engines from Russia.
Are their jet engine any good? fast? powerful?

before  the  Chinese  helped  the  Khmer  military  .
btw  .
Prince  Norodom  Sihanouk  was  annoyed  with  President  Sukarno  of
 Indonesia  who  was  infatuated  with  Prince  Norodom  Sihanouk 's
wife  Princess   Monique  Monireath  ,
 when  Prince  Sihanouk  went
to  Bandung  in  Indonesia  with  his  wife  Princess  Monique  ,
  to attend  to  Non - Aligned  Nations  Meeting .
Princess   Monique   is  half  Italian and  half  Khmer  mixed
blood  ,
Italian from her  father 's  side   and  Khmer  from  her  mother's
side  .
but  Arab  kings  and  sultans  looked  down  on the  Khmer  Prince
Sihanouk ,
that  is  Why  the    Khmer  Prince  Sihanouk  was  more  favorable
to  the  Jewish  state Israel .

Post by rst9
As I remember it, he was deposed while in Beijing.
And he lived in Beijing for awhile.

[rst9]

On Oct 14, 8:02 pm, "Coptic Priest Zakaria Boutros ( Botros ) , the
instigator for the film Innocences of the Muslims"

rst9
don ' t  confuse  jet  engine for  an  outdated  MIG     jet  with  a
new  up  to  date  jet  engines  Nowaday .
Chinese  gave  the  Egyptians  some    converted   Russian  engines
still  un--used in  China .

China Nears Jet Engine Breakthrough: Report
Jun. 30, 2011 - 06:00AM | By DAVE MAJUMDAR
http://www.defensenews.com/article/20110630/DEFSECT01/106300309/China-Nears-Jet-Engine-Breakthrough-Report

In a paper released earlier this week, analysts at China Signpost
argue that the Chinese are on the verge of making a breakthrough in
jet engine technology, traditionally one of that nation's weak points
in developing modern fighters.

"We estimate that based on current knowledge and assuming no major
setbacks or loss of mission focus, China will need 2-3 years before it
achieves comprehensive capabilities commensurate with the aggregate
inputs in the jet engine sector," wrote authors Andrew Erickson, an
associate professor at the U.S. Naval War College, and Gabe Collins, a
commodity and security specialist focused on China and Russia.

China Signpost is a newly created, U.S.-based online think tank that
specializes in China.

Collins said via email that the Chinese are close to matching the
performance of the F-15C's Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-100 engine.

"They are really close on the PW-100-level engine technology," Collins
said. "But the devil is in the details, and until the Chinese
aerospace industry masters milspec quality control processes, it will
be very hard to produce enough consistently good engines to truly
reduce China's dependence on the Russians for high-performance
tactical aircraft jet engines."

The major weak points of the Chinese aircraft engine industry are in
building turbine blades and standardizing processes, Collins said.

"Standardization and integration may be the one area in which the
costs of China's ad hoc, eclectic approach to strategic technology
development truly manifest themselves," he said.

It will take the Chinese five to 10 years to develop an engine that
could power a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet comparable to the
U.S. military's F-22 Raptor or F-35 Lightning II, Collins said.

"The existence of the WS-15 program suggests that attaining the
capability to manufacture an indigenous F119-class engine [which
powers the F-22] to power the J-20 is a high priority," he said.

The J-20 is a new stealth fighter under development in China.

It will probably take a lot longer than five to 10 years before China
can build fighter engines comparable to modern U.S. engines, said
Richard Aboulafia, an analyst at the Teal Group, Fairfax, Va.,

"They're a very long way from an F119/F135/F136 level of technology,"
Aboulafia said. "They'd have to make huge strides in materials, design
and manufacturing. And by the time they got there, the West will have
made major strides, too."

That being said, the Chinese have made major strides in advancing
their engine technology, he said.

"The Chinese are making aero engine improvements, and could get to a
reasonable level of autonomy in five-10 years. That means copying
Western or Russian capabilities from the 1980s," Aboulafia said.

If the Chinese are able to develop and build an engine similar in
performance to Pratt & Whitney's F100, they could still build a
formidable fleet of warplanes, he said.

"An F100 level of capability can make a truly indigenous fighter a
reality, and they'd pose a threat in sheer numbers alone," Aboulafia
said.

Loren Thompson, an analyst at the Lexington Institute, Arlington, Va.,
disagreed, saying that the Chinese could develop a fighter engine
comparable to the Raptor's F119 far sooner than Western analysts
expect.

"U.S. academics and intelligence analysts have consistently
underestimated the rate of Chinese progress both economically and
technologically," he said.

The Chinese, Thompson said, have developed economically much more
quickly than anyone expected, and one should not expect any less from
their technological development.

Further, he said, China's progress is aided by technology gleaned both
legally and illegally from abroad.

Thompson also dismissed suggestions that Chinese society is less
innovative than Western ones.

Industrializing countries typically don't spend a lot on research and
development until they have reached a more competitive position, he
said. "There is no reason for China to invest in research and
development when they can steal it at a fraction of the cost."

Aboulafia said that it is true that China has developed much faster
than most expected in both the economic and technological realms, but
aviation is an exception to that general trend.

"We have a history of underestimating China's economy and parts of its
military, but of overestimating its aviation capabilities," he said.
"One glance at their commercial jetliner industry proves that."

[Coptic Priest Zakaria Boutros ( Botros ) , the instigator for the film Innocences of the Muslims]

Can Chinese make an improved version of a RUSSIAN jet
engine ?





the blades ?




ROLL - ROYCE blades .

On Oct 14, 8:02 pm, "Coptic  Priest  Zakaria Boutros ( Botros ) , the
instigator for  the  film   Innocences  of  the  Muslims"

rst9
don ' t  confuse  jet  engine for  an  outdated  MIG     jet  with  a
new  up  to  date  jet  engines  Nowaday .
Chinese  gave  the  Egyptians  some    converted   Russian  engines
still  un--used in  China .

China Nears Jet Engine Breakthrough: Report
Jun. 30, 2011 - 06:00AM   |    By DAVE MAJUMDARhttp://www.defensenews.com/article/20110630/DEFSECT01/106300309/China...
In a paper released earlier this week, analysts at China Signpost
argue that the Chinese are on the verge of making a breakthrough in
jet engine technology, traditionally one of that nation's weak points
in developing modern fighters.
"We estimate that based on current knowledge and assuming no major
setbacks or loss of mission focus, China will need 2-3 years before it
achieves comprehensive capabilities commensurate with the aggregate
inputs in the jet engine sector," wrote authors Andrew Erickson, an
associate professor at the U.S. Naval War College, and Gabe Collins, a
commodity and security specialist focused on China and Russia.
China Signpost is a newly created, U.S.-based online think tank that
specializes in China.
Collins said via email that the Chinese are close to matching the
performance of the F-15C's Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-100 engine.
"They are really close on the PW-100-level engine technology," Collins
said. "But the devil is in the details, and until the Chinese
aerospace industry masters milspec quality control processes, it will
be very hard to produce enough consistently good engines to truly
reduce China's dependence on the Russians for high-performance
tactical aircraft jet engines."
The major weak points of the Chinese aircraft engine industry are in
building turbine blades and standardizing processes, Collins said.
"Standardization and integration may be the one area in which the
costs of China's ad hoc, eclectic approach to strategic technology
development truly manifest themselves," he said.
It will take the Chinese five to 10 years to develop an engine that
could power a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet comparable to the
U.S. military's F-22 Raptor or F-35 Lightning II, Collins said.
"The existence of the WS-15 program suggests that attaining the
capability to manufacture an indigenous F119-class engine [which
powers the F-22] to power the J-20 is a high priority," he said.
The J-20 is a new stealth fighter under development in China.
It will probably take a lot longer than five to 10 years before China
can build fighter engines comparable to modern U.S. engines, said
Richard Aboulafia, an analyst at the Teal Group, Fairfax, Va.,
"They're a very long way from an F119/F135/F136 level of technology,"
Aboulafia said. "They'd have to make huge strides in materials, design
and manufacturing. And by the time they got there, the West will have
made major strides, too."
That being said, the Chinese have made major strides in advancing
their engine technology, he said.
"The Chinese are making aero engine improvements, and could get to a
reasonable level of autonomy in five-10 years. That means copying
Western or Russian capabilities from the 1980s," Aboulafia said.
If the Chinese are able to develop and build an engine similar in
performance to Pratt & Whitney's F100, they could still build a
formidable fleet of warplanes, he said.
"An F100 level of capability can make a truly indigenous fighter a
reality, and they'd pose a threat in sheer numbers alone," Aboulafia
said.
Loren Thompson, an analyst at the Lexington Institute, Arlington, Va.,
disagreed, saying that the Chinese could develop a fighter engine
comparable to the Raptor's F119 far sooner than Western analysts
expect.
"U.S. academics and intelligence analysts have consistently
underestimated the rate of Chinese progress both economically and
technologically," he said.
The Chinese, Thompson said, have developed economically much more
quickly than anyone expected, and one should not expect any less from
their technological development.
Further, he said, China's progress is aided by technology gleaned both
legally and illegally from abroad.
Thompson also dismissed suggestions that Chinese society is less
innovative than Western ones.
Industrializing countries typically don't spend a lot on research and
development until they have reached a more competitive position, he
said. "There is no reason for China to invest in research and
development when they can steal it at a fraction of the cost."
Aboulafia said that it is true that China has developed much faster
than most expected in both the economic and technological realms, but
aviation is an exception to that general trend.
"We have a history of underestimating China's economy and parts of its
military, but of overestimating its aviation capabilities," he said.
"One glance at their commercial jetliner industry proves that."

[rst0]

On Oct 16, 9:06 pm, "Coptic Priest Zakaria Boutros ( Botros ) , the
instigator for the film Innocences of the Muslims"

Can  Chinese  make  an  improved   version of  a  RUSSIAN  jet
engine  ?
the  blades   ?
ROLL -  ROYCE          blades  .

We will see in 5 to 10 years.

On Oct 14, 8:02 pm, "Coptic  Priest  Zakaria Boutros ( Botros ) , the
instigator for  the  film   Innocences  of  the  Muslims"

rst9
don ' t  confuse  jet  engine for  an  outdated  MIG     jet  with  a
new  up  to  date  jet  engines  Nowaday .
Chinese  gave  the  Egyptians  some    converted   Russian  engines
still  un--used in  China .

China Nears Jet Engine Breakthrough: Report
Jun. 30, 2011 - 06:00AM   |    By DAVE MAJUMDARhttp://www.defensenews.com/article/20110630/DEFSECT01/106300309/China...
In a paper released earlier this week, analysts at China Signpost
argue that the Chinese are on the verge of making a breakthrough in
jet engine technology, traditionally one of that nation's weak points
in developing modern fighters.
"We estimate that based on current knowledge and assuming no major
setbacks or loss of mission focus, China will need 2-3 years before it
achieves comprehensive capabilities commensurate with the aggregate
inputs in the jet engine sector," wrote authors Andrew Erickson, an
associate professor at the U.S. Naval War College, and Gabe Collins, a
commodity and security specialist focused on China and Russia.
China Signpost is a newly created, U.S.-based online think tank that
specializes in China.
Collins said via email that the Chinese are close to matching the
performance of the F-15C's Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-100 engine.
"They are really close on the PW-100-level engine technology," Collins
said. "But the devil is in the details, and until the Chinese
aerospace industry masters milspec quality control processes, it will
be very hard to produce enough consistently good engines to truly
reduce China's dependence on the Russians for high-performance
tactical aircraft jet engines."
The major weak points of the Chinese aircraft engine industry are in
building turbine blades and standardizing processes, Collins said.
"Standardization and integration may be the one area in which the
costs of China's ad hoc, eclectic approach to strategic technology
development truly manifest themselves," he said.
It will take the Chinese five to 10 years to develop an engine that
could power a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet comparable to the
U.S. military's F-22 Raptor or F-35 Lightning II, Collins said.
"The existence of the WS-15 program suggests that attaining the
capability to manufacture an indigenous F119-class engine [which
powers the F-22] to power the J-20 is a high priority," he said.
The J-20 is a new stealth fighter under development in China.
It will probably take a lot longer than five to 10 years before China
can build fighter engines comparable to modern U.S. engines, said
Richard Aboulafia, an analyst at the Teal Group, Fairfax, Va.,
"They're a very long way from an F119/F135/F136 level of technology,"
Aboulafia said. "They'd have to make huge strides in materials, design
and manufacturing. And by the time they got there, the West will have
made major strides, too."
That being said, the Chinese have made major strides in advancing
their engine technology, he said.
"The Chinese are making aero engine improvements, and could get to a
reasonable level of autonomy in five-10 years. That means copying
Western or Russian capabilities from the 1980s," Aboulafia said.
If the Chinese are able to develop and build an engine similar in
performance to Pratt & Whitney's F100, they could still build a
formidable fleet of warplanes, he said.
"An F100 level of capability can make a truly indigenous fighter a
reality, and they'd pose a threat in sheer numbers alone," Aboulafia
said.
Loren Thompson, an analyst at the Lexington Institute, Arlington, Va.,
disagreed, saying that the Chinese could develop a fighter engine
comparable to the Raptor's F119 far sooner than Western analysts
expect.
"U.S. academics and intelligence analysts have consistently
underestimated the rate of Chinese progress both economically and
technologically," he said.
The Chinese, Thompson said, have developed economically much more
quickly than anyone expected, and one should not expect any less from
their technological development.
Further, he said, China's progress is aided by technology gleaned both
legally and illegally from abroad.
Thompson also dismissed suggestions that Chinese society is less
innovative than Western ones.
Industrializing countries typically don't spend a lot on research and
development until they have reached a more competitive position, he
said. "There is no reason for China to invest in research and
development when they can steal it at a fraction of the cost."
Aboulafia said that it is true that China has developed much faster
than most expected in both the economic and technological realms, but
aviation is an exception to that general trend.
"We have a history of underestimating China's economy and parts of its
military, but of overestimating its aviation capabilities," he said.
"One glance at their commercial jetliner industry proves that."

[charlie vietcong , fighter for communism Tawhid]

in another 5 -10 years .




Vietnam shall become a second KOREA ,
because More Factories shall come to Vietnam instead of
going to China.



I just hope our Viet DONG will stop depreciating ,

my Viet Dongs in pension is killing me .

On Oct 16, 9:06 pm, "Coptic  Priest  Zakaria Boutros ( Botros ) , the
instigator for  the  film   Innocences  of  the  Muslims"

Can  Chinese  make  an  improved   version of  a  RUSSIAN  jet
engine  ?
the  blades   ?
ROLL -  ROYCE          blades  .

We will see in 5 to 10 years.

On Oct 14, 8:02 pm, "Coptic  Priest  Zakaria Boutros ( Botros ) , the
instigator for  the  film   Innocences  of  the  Muslims"

rst9
don ' t  confuse  jet  engine for  an  outdated  MIG     jet  with  a
new  up  to  date  jet  engines  Nowaday .
Chinese  gave  the  Egyptians  some    converted   Russian  engines
still  un--used in  China .

China Nears Jet Engine Breakthrough: Report
Jun. 30, 2011 - 06:00AM   |    By DAVE MAJUMDARhttp://www.defensenews.com/article/20110630/DEFSECT01/106300309/China...
In a paper released earlier this week, analysts at China Signpost
argue that the Chinese are on the verge of making a breakthrough in
jet engine technology, traditionally one of that nation's weak points
in developing modern fighters.
"We estimate that based on current knowledge and assuming no major
setbacks or loss of mission focus, China will need 2-3 years before it
achieves comprehensive capabilities commensurate with the aggregate
inputs in the jet engine sector," wrote authors Andrew Erickson, an
associate professor at the U.S. Naval War College, and Gabe Collins, a
commodity and security specialist focused on China and Russia.
China Signpost is a newly created, U.S.-based online think tank that
specializes in China.
Collins said via email that the Chinese are close to matching the
performance of the F-15C's Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-100 engine.
"They are really close on the PW-100-level engine technology," Collins
said. "But the devil is in the details, and until the Chinese
aerospace industry masters milspec quality control processes, it will
be very hard to produce enough consistently good engines to truly
reduce China's dependence on the Russians for high-performance
tactical aircraft jet engines."
The major weak points of the Chinese aircraft engine industry are in
building turbine blades and standardizing processes, Collins said.
"Standardization and integration may be the one area in which the
costs of China's ad hoc, eclectic approach to strategic technology
development truly manifest themselves," he said.
It will take the Chinese five to 10 years to develop an engine that
could power a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet comparable to the
U.S. military's F-22 Raptor or F-35 Lightning II, Collins said.
"The existence of the WS-15 program suggests that attaining the
capability to manufacture an indigenous F119-class engine [which
powers the F-22] to power the J-20 is a high priority," he said.
The J-20 is a new stealth fighter under development in China.
It will probably take a lot longer than five to 10 years before China
can build fighter engines comparable to modern U.S. engines, said
Richard Aboulafia, an analyst at the Teal Group, Fairfax, Va.,
"They're a very long way from an F119/F135/F136 level of technology,"
Aboulafia said. "They'd have to make huge strides in materials, design
and manufacturing. And by the time they got there, the West will have
made major strides, too."
That being said, the Chinese have made major strides in advancing
their engine technology, he said.
"The Chinese are making aero engine improvements, and could get to a
reasonable level of autonomy in five-10 years. That means copying
Western or Russian capabilities from the 1980s," Aboulafia said.
If the Chinese are able to develop and build an engine similar in
performance to Pratt & Whitney's F100, they could still build a
formidable fleet of warplanes, he said.
"An F100 level of capability can make a truly indigenous fighter a
reality, and they'd pose a threat in sheer numbers alone," Aboulafia
said.
Loren Thompson, an analyst at the Lexington Institute, Arlington, Va.,
disagreed, saying that the Chinese could develop a fighter engine
comparable to the Raptor's F119 far sooner than Western analysts
expect.
"U.S. academics and intelligence analysts have consistently
underestimated the rate of Chinese progress both economically and
technologically," he said.
The Chinese, Thompson said, have developed economically much more
quickly than anyone expected, and one should not expect any less from
their technological development.
Further, he said, China's progress is aided by technology gleaned both
legally and illegally from abroad.
Thompson also dismissed suggestions that Chinese society is less
innovative than Western ones.
Industrializing countries typically don't spend a lot on research and
development until they have reached a more competitive position, he
said. "There is no reason for China to invest in research and
development when they can steal it at a fraction of the cost."
Aboulafia said that it is true that China has developed much faster
than most expected in both the economic and technological realms, but
aviation is an exception to that general trend.
"We have a history of underestimating China's economy and parts of its
military, but of overestimating its aviation capabilities," he said.
"One glance at their commercial jetliner industry proves that."