China's Aerospace Industry: Technology, Funding and Modernization

Modernization in Chinas military industry is a vast subject. This paper will seek to understand the method of modernization by looking at one portion of that industry, the aviation branch. The aviation industry has undergone some critical changes within the last decade which make it a critical element in Chinas overall modernization plans. The importation of technology has taken on many different forms and has been driven by different forces. The aviation industrys actions determine the direction and technological level of both the military and economic sectors in China. Aviation, as is the case in most other countries, is a booming business. The subject of technology transfers in and out of China cannot fully be understood unless one understands the methods in which China has acquired technology since the establishment of the PRC. The mechanisms include indigenous R and D and production, co-production with the USSR, modifications to Chinese or foreign systems, reverse engineering, co-production with other countries, and captured systems. These mechanisms for obtaining military technology can be guideline to understanding the different periods of Chinese technology transfer and the motives of the government with regards to technology transfer at those certain periods of time in history.