On November 11, 2026, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force marked its 77th anniversary. In a retrospective published the following day, Xinhua reviewed President Xi Jinping’s statements on the force’s development and its goal of becoming a “world-class air force.”

Xinhua traced that goal to Xi’s April 2014 call for a stronger air force capable of integrated air and space operations, both offensive and defensive. At an event marking the air force’s 70th anniversary in November 2019, Xi called for it to become a world-class force.

According to Xinhua, the air force’s three-stage plan set a 2020 milestone for entering the ranks of strategic air forces, a 2035 goal of initially building a modern strategic air force, and a target of becoming world-class by the middle of this century. The article said the force has entered the strategic-air-force stage; that characterization is Xinhua’s.

The retrospective also cited Xi’s calls for advanced equipment, specialist training and preparations suited to operational needs. It pointed to the introduction of J-20 fighters and Y-20 transport aircraft as part of the air force’s development.

Source: news.cn (originally published 2026-11-12 09:06 UTC+8)