China Marks 20 Years of a Domestic Jet Engine That Cut Reliance on Imports

China marked the 20th anniversary of completing the WS-10, its first domestically developed high-thrust turbofan engine for fighter jets, which the South China Morning Post says helped make the country a modern air power. The engine reduced China's dependence on Russian-supplied engines for much of its combat fleet.

Jet engines are among the hardest pieces of aerospace technology to master, requiring advanced metallurgy and precision manufacturing. Domestic production removed a long-standing vulnerability and gave Beijing more control over the pace and cost of building its air force.

The milestone connects to a wider industrial strategy. As China presses for self-sufficiency in semiconductors, aviation and other advanced sectors, it also controls the supply of rare earths and critical minerals that the rest of the world's advanced manufacturing depends on, a source of leverage now central to its disputes with Japan and the West.

For investors, the story is a reminder that the technology rivalry runs in both directions. Each step toward Chinese self-reliance narrows export markets for foreign suppliers while strengthening Beijing's position in the materials that underpin global high-technology production.