I'm getting some serious Cold War vibes from this article: Communist country tries to get into an arms race with the US, has to choose between their preferred economic strategy and military competitiveness, ends up trying to have both.

The big difference I see with China is that they have a massive booming economy. Unlike the USSR which failed to stay productive, they might be able to pull it off.

But the "air power" advancements in the article seem a bit underwhelming to me. A new fighter jet, a new air-to-air missile, and another unnamed air-to-air system with longer range seem like the first steps in bringing Chinese air power up to par. It certainly doesn't suggest that they will soon be able to "rival the West", let alone the US.