The reason they're able to do this is because the manufacturing technology is established and entire assembly lines can be bought from Western firms. To my knowledge, the production technology for leading edge Western fighters hasn't been sold to any non-Western country.
> To my knowledge, the production technology for leading edge Western fighters hasn’t been sold to any non-Western country.
It won’t be long before the Chinese will be able to devise their own production technology without the help of the West.
Their political ideology is thoroughly morally bankrupt, but the Chinese are no fools. They have a bloody-minded cleverness that is one day going to bump into the West really, really hard.
And they can do stuff really quickly when they need to.
Dumb example: did you know that nearly all of those little hook assemblies that hold brassieres together are made in China? As are nearly all zippers, and nearly all buttons, and nearly all sewing needles?
Sure, those are only small goods — but the Chinese didn’t used to dominate small goods. This is all relatively new.
I wonder how long it will be before they make most of the bullets in the world? Cheap? I can’t see any reason why they wouldn’t.
The hi-tech stuff? I’d say they are already well on their way.