There is information that China is considering the possibility of supplying weapons to Russia. Beijing’s powerful arsenal includes a range of formidable weapons that could be used against Ukraine.
Experts fear that China’s official strategic neutrality will come to an end after the EU uncovers “convincing evidence” that Xi Jinping has smuggled arms into Russia.
If China does decide to intervene, here are five threatening weapons that Xi Jinping can throw at Putin to help.
J-20 Stealth Fighter
The Chengdu J-20, dubbed the Mighty Dragon, is China’s answer to the American F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters.
Although the Chinese version cannot completely disappear from the radar, it has a number of features that allow it to remain unnoticed.
The aircraft is equipped with improved radar and modern sensors, has better avionics than other Chinese fighter jets, and can launch short and long range air-to-air missiles and drop laser-guided bombs. All this makes him a formidable adversary in air combat.
Aircraft carrier Type 003
The second-generation Type 003 aircraft carrier of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy has not yet been completed and is under construction. It is expected to greatly outperform its two Russian-engineered predecessors and be the first Chinese ship to adopt a catapult take-off system (CATOBAR). So far, only the United States and France have used this system.
The aircraft carrier will likely be 300 meters long, have improved defenses, and be able to shoot down incoming missiles.
Hypersonic missile DF-17
Dong Feng DF-17 is a medium-range missile system equipped with a hypersonic glide device. During the gliding phase, the rocket reaches a maximum speed of Mach 10.
The missile system promises to be the first of its kind in the world: it is extremely maneuverable and is likely to evade both radar and American anti-missile systems such as Patriot and THAAD.
In the future, the missile will be able to carry nuclear warheads and hit targets at a distance of 1770 to 2600 km.
Intercontinental ballistic missile DF-41
This member of the Dong Feng family is the most powerful ballistic missile in Xi’s arsenal.
The DF-41 can carry up to 10 nuclear warheads that could potentially reach US soil. At the same time, experts note that these missiles can be used to neutralize enemy missile defense systems.
China has both mobile and silo-based missiles.
Anti-ship ballistic missiles
China has two “carrier killers”, both of the Dong Feng family, the DF-21D and DF-26B, with a range of up to 1,700 km.
To protect its seas, China is reported to have deployed 200 DF-21 mobile launchers and 200 missiles, each with a 600kg warhead capable of hitting moving targets.