What You Need to Know: At the 2024 Zhuhai Air Show, China unveiled a mockup of its proposed sixth-generation “White Emperor” fighter, sparking Western intrigue. While China claims the White Emperor integrates next-gen technologies like AI, stealth drones, and advanced sensors, many experts suspect this mockup aims to psych out the West.

-By exaggerating its advancement, Beijing may be pushing the U.S. toward massive, unsustainable investments in costly programs like NGAD, ultimately stretching its finances thin.

-Critics argue the U.S. should instead focus on more feasible, existing technologies, such as expanding F-35 production and developing advanced unmanned systems, to counter China's psychological strategy.

China’s “White Emperor” Fake Out

China’s new sixth-generation warplane, the “White Emperor” (Baidi), appears to be in the offing. At least, that’s what the Chinese military wants the world to think as they unveiled a mockup of what has been a bit of an urban legend until now. The mock-up was revealed at the Zhuhai Air Show in Guangdong, China. 

This air show has been a revelation for many aerospace wonks. From the appearance of China’s fifth-generation J-35 warplane to the stunning performance of Russia’s fifth-generation warplane, the Su-57, the 2024 Zhuhai Air Show is likely going to be remembered by historians in the future (if there is anyone living at that time) as the greatest coming out party of all time.

Christian D. Orr, writing recently in these pages, rightly assessed that, the White Emperor “signals China’s intensified pursuit of air superiority.” It will likely, according to Orr, spur “U.S. investments in the F-35, B-21, and NGAD programs.” All of which are prohibitively expensive and could very well break America’s financial back at a time when the country is facing a massive debt crisis.

China is Putting One Heck of a Show with White Emperor Fighter 

China barely has fifth-generation capabilities. While it is certainly possible that they have begun work on a sixth-generation warplane, the likelihood that they are working on this system when they are still getting their fifth-generation planes going is low. 

Dubbed a “system of systems” by the Chinese, the White Emperor is allegedly the basis of an ecosystem of new technologies being folded into their next-generation warplane system. Just as the Americans are doing (as are the Europeans and the British).

This “system of systems” purports to marry advanced concepts, such as next-generation sensors, communications gear, electronic countermeasures, artificial intelligence, stealth drones, such as the CH-7 (which was also unveiled at the Zhuhai Air Show), and cloud computing are all being folded into the sixth-generation program. China, the United States, and the Europeans (and British) all have forms of these technologies available to one degree or another. 

But China understands that there is a long way to go in terms of developing these systems. And, right now, the problem with the sixth-generation warplane that the Western governments are running into is their prohibitive cost. 

They’re so complex and take so much time to build, that the West cannot build enough of these systems in a timely manner to make the investment worthwhile. Sure, China has manufacturing supremacy over the West. And they have proven they have little qualms about throwing loads of money at experimental platforms that may never work out. There is, however, a limit. 

The Great Trick

What the West is observing on display in Zhuhai is a mock-up. And that’s what it will likely be for a long time. Beijing, though, wants you to think it’s going to be more sooner than it will be. That’s because there’s a degree of psyching out the West that’s occurring. 

You see, China’s leaders have studied us. 

They want to break the Western nations without directly fighting them. One way to do that is to make them go bankrupt. And one method for making their rivals in the West go bankrupt is to convince Western militaries and intelligence agencies that they are about to field a sixth-generation warplane before the West can. 

So, China displays this science fiction-looking mockup and ogles over it, convincing Westerners that this system is just around the corner. In reality, they’re not building it. But the Americans are foolish enough to redouble their investment in the onerous (and impractical) NGAD program. It breaks the back of the US Air Force’s finances and helps to further bankrupt the country. 

This is the real point of China’s “White Emperor” sixth-generation warplane concept. 

Pentagon leaders must not fall for it. There is no room in the budget for the sixth-generation warplane. Trying to make room for it will lead to an unmitigated disaster. It will weaken the United States military at a time when it is already weak. 

Again, this plays into China’s hands. A far better investment would be to continue purchasing the F-35 Lightning II, building our own stealth unmanned aerial vehicles to augment existing US warplanes, and, if necessary, reconstituting the shuttered F-22A Raptor production line. 

About the Author: 

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is available for purchase wherever books are sold. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

Image Credit: Social Media X Screenshots and Creative Commons.