In a rare diplomatic gesture, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari was granted access to one of China’s most secure military facilities — the headquarters of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). Zardari is the first foreign head of state to receive such a tour, during which he explored China’s latest advancements in military aviation and defence technologies.&nbsp;During his visit to AVIC on Sunday (September 14), Zardari received detailed briefings on a wide array of defence capabilities, including the J-10 fighter aircraft, the collaborative JF-17 Thunder program with Pakistan, and developments in the J-20 stealth fighter jet. The tour also covered cutting-edge unmanned aerial systems, fully automated combat platforms, and integrated command-and-control frameworks designed for multi-domain warfare.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-presses-15-billion-defamation-lawsuit-on-new-york-times-days-after-epstein-link-article-1758000090875">Donald Trump presses $15 billion defamation lawsuit on New York Times days after Epstein-link article</a>&nbsp;While the Chinese Foreign Ministry downplayed the visit’s military implications, it instead highlighted Zardari’s support for the Global Security Initiative (GSI) — Beijing’s strategic vision presented as an alternative to Western-led security frameworks. Zardari’s 10-day official visit comes shortly after the end of cross-border hostilities between India and Pakistan, triggered by the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, striking terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Both countries agreed to de-escalate by May 10, but the conflict revealed serious vulnerabilities in Pakistan's defence systems.&nbsp;Zardari’s AVIC tour follows a series of high-level Pakistan-China engagements, including recent visits by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Gen Asim Munir. The Pakistani leadership is believed to be exploring replenishment and upgrade options for its military assets, many of which were sourced from China and used during the brief conflict with India.&nbsp;According to SIPRI, over 80% of Pakistan’s military equipment is supplied by China — a reliance that continues to shape defence cooperation between the two countries. Zardari was joined by PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari during the AVIC visit. His trip began on September 12, shortly after Sharif and Munir attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit and held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Pakistan President Zardari visits China’s secret defence military facility amid Indo-Pacific tensions

In a rare diplomatic gesture, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari was granted access to one of China’s most secure military facilities — the headquarters of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). Zardari is the first foreign head of state to receive such a tour, during which he explored China’s latest advancements in military aviation and defence technologies. During his visit to AVIC on Sunday (September 14), Zardari received detailed briefings on a wide array of defence capabilities, including the J-10 fighter aircraft, the collaborative JF-17 Thunder program with Pakistan, and developments in the J-20 stealth fighter jet. The tour also covered cutting-edge unmanned aerial systems, fully automated combat platforms, and integrated command-and-control frameworks designed for multi-domain warfare. Also Read: Donald Trump presses $15 billion defamation lawsuit on New York Times days after Epstein-link article While the Chinese Foreign Ministry downplayed the visit’s military implications, it instead highlighted Zardari’s support for the Global Security Initiative (GSI) — Beijing’s strategic vision presented as an alternative to Western-led security frameworks. Zardari’s 10-day official visit comes shortly after the end of cross-border hostilities between India and Pakistan, triggered by the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, striking terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Both countries agreed to de-escalate by May 10, but the conflict revealed serious vulnerabilities in Pakistan's defence systems. Zardari’s AVIC tour follows a series of high-level Pakistan-China engagements, including recent visits by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Gen Asim Munir. The Pakistani leadership is believed to be exploring replenishment and upgrade options for its military assets, many of which were sourced from China and used during the brief conflict with India. According to SIPRI, over 80% of Pakistan’s military equipment is supplied by China — a reliance that continues to shape defence cooperation between the two countries. Zardari was joined by PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari during the AVIC visit. His trip began on September 12, shortly after Sharif and Munir attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit and held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari toured China’s secret military hub AVIC, discussing deeper defence ties after Pakistan’s losses in Operation Sindoor

100th Wing Loong unmanned aerial vehicle delivered to foreign user

China expects to deliver its domestically developed AG600, the&nbsp;world's largest amphibious aircraft, to customers by 2022, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported late on Sunday citing the plane's manufacturer. 
 
"We are endeavouring to get the airworthiness certification from the civil aviation authorities by 2021, and deliver it to the customers by 2022," Xinhua quoted Huang Lingcai, the plane's chief designer at state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), as saying. 
 
AG600&nbsp;performed its maiden flight in December from an airport on the shores of the South China Sea, the latest step in a military modernisation programme. 
 
China has stepped up research on advanced military equipment as it adopts a more muscular approach to territorial disputes in places such as the disputed South China Sea, rattling nerves in the Asia-Pacific region and the United States.

AVIC has spent about eight years developing the aircraft, which is roughly the size of a Boeing Co 737 and is designed to carry out marine rescues and battle forest fires. It has a range of up to 4,500 kms (2,800 miles) and is designed to be able to take off and land in two metre (six feet) waves.

Powered by four turboprop engines, the AG600 can carry 50 people during maritime search-and-rescue missions, and can scoop up 12 metric tons of water within 20 seconds for fire fighting trips, according to state media.

In December, state media said that the aircraft had received 17 orders so far from Chinese government departments and Chinese companies.

State-owned Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC) has spent almost eight years developing the aircraft, which is roughly the size of a Boeing Co 737 and is designed to carry out marine rescues and battle forest fires

AG600 performed its maiden flight in December from an airport on the shores of the South China Sea, the latest step in a military modernisation programme

China expects to deliver its domestically developed AG600, the world's largest amphibious aircraft, to customers by 2022, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported late on Sunday citing the plane's manufacturer. "We are endeavouring to get the airworthiness certification from the civil aviation authorities by 2021, and deliver it to the customers by 2022," Xinhua quoted Huang Lingcai, the plane's chief designer at state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), as saying. AG600 performed its maiden flight in December from an airport on the shores of the South China Sea, the latest step in a military modernisation programme. China has stepped up research on advanced military equipment as it adopts a more muscular approach to territorial disputes in places such as the disputed South China Sea, rattling nerves in the Asia-Pacific region and the United States. AVIC has spent about eight years developing the aircraft, which is roughly the size of a Boeing Co 737 and is designed to carry out marine rescues and battle forest fires. It has a range of up to 4,500 kms (2,800 miles) and is designed to be able to take off and land in two metre (six feet) waves. Powered by four turboprop engines, the AG600 can carry 50 people during maritime search-and-rescue missions, and can scoop up 12 metric tons of water within 20 seconds for fire fighting trips, according to state media. In December, state media said that the aircraft had received 17 orders so far from Chinese government departments and Chinese companies. State-owned Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC) has spent almost eight years developing the aircraft, which is roughly the size of a Boeing Co 737 and is designed to carry out marine rescues and battle forest fires

China to deliver world's largest amphibious aircraft to customers by 2022

China has completed production of the world&#39;s largest amphibian aircraft, AG600, that it plans to use to fight forest fires and perform marine rescue operations. 
 
The AG600 rolled off a production line in the southern city of Zhuhai on Saturday in what aviation observers see as a milestone for the country, reports Xinhua. 
 
The aircraft has a maximum take-off weight of 53.5 tonnes, a maximum cruising speed of 500 km per hour, a maximum flight range of 4,500 km, and a maximum endurance of 12 hours, according to state aircraft maker the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). 
 
The 37-meter-long AG600 with a wingspan of 38.8 meters is by far the world&#39;s largest amphibian aircraft, about the size of a Boeing 737, according to AVIC Deputy General Manager Geng Ruguang. 
 
In addition to taking off and landing like an ordinary plane, the AG600 can also take off and land from stretches of water that are at least 1,500 meters long, 200 meters wide and 2.5 meters deep. 
 
It can collect 12 tonnes of water in 20 seconds, and transport up to 370 tonnes of water on a single tank of fuel. 
 
It took nearly seven years by a group of 70 aircraft component manufacturers and research teams with over 150 institutes from 20 provinces and municipalities in China to complete this project. 
 
&quot;The AG600 is like a ship that can fly, with advanced gas-water dynamic engineering and underwater corrosion resistance technology,&quot; said Huang Lingcai, chief designer of the plane. 
 
(ANI)&nbsp; 
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AG600 with a wingspan of 38.8 metres is about the size of a Boeing 737, according to its maker

China has completed production of the world's largest amphibian aircraft, AG600, that it plans to use to fight forest fires and perform marine rescue operations. The AG600 rolled off a production line in the southern city of Zhuhai on Saturday in what aviation observers see as a milestone for the country, reports Xinhua. The aircraft has a maximum take-off weight of 53.5 tonnes, a maximum cruising speed of 500 km per hour, a maximum flight range of 4,500 km, and a maximum endurance of 12 hours, according to state aircraft maker the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The 37-meter-long AG600 with a wingspan of 38.8 meters is by far the world's largest amphibian aircraft, about the size of a Boeing 737, according to AVIC Deputy General Manager Geng Ruguang. In addition to taking off and landing like an ordinary plane, the AG600 can also take off and land from stretches of water that are at least 1,500 meters long, 200 meters wide and 2.5 meters deep. It can collect 12 tonnes of water in 20 seconds, and transport up to 370 tonnes of water on a single tank of fuel. It took nearly seven years by a group of 70 aircraft component manufacturers and research teams with over 150 institutes from 20 provinces and municipalities in China to complete this project. "The AG600 is like a ship that can fly, with advanced gas-water dynamic engineering and underwater corrosion resistance technology," said Huang Lingcai, chief designer of the plane. (ANI)

China unveils world's largest amphibious aircraft