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by nomel 1380 days ago
> fighter jets

Eh, this, and probably others in your list (Nortel breach with 5G is a candidate), weren't really independently developed [1]:

> When the Soviets refused to part with their Su-33 design secrets, China purchased an Su-33 prototype aircraft from Ukraine, dubbed the T-10K-3, and quickly set about reverse engineering it.

> The J-20, ... America’s F-22 Raptor. Plans ... were stolen by a Chinese national named Su Bin, who was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for his crime.

> Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter was also compromised by Su Bin, leading to China’s J-31 program

I think it will take some time to see if they can become independent. Or, maybe independence doesn't matter! Copy and improve may end up being a successful strategy.

1. https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/g23303922...

1 comments

They didn't start from scratch, for sure. But it has been copy and improve, not just let's make cheap copies lagging behind the original.