China’s Technological Advances – The Ukrainian Factor

 

In aerospace technology
It was reported just a couple of days ago that China had achieved a huge leap in hypersonic propulsion technology. It simulated the world’s first oblique detonation engine using standard aviation kerosene in Beijing’s JF-12 to an altitude of 40km and speeds up to Mach 16 (about 20,000 km/h), making hypersonic travel and military dominance a reality. This means that in not too distant a future, its missiles could evade all defences!

Currently, it already has its own WS-15 engine to power J-20 fighter – a fifth-generation stealth combat plane that is said to be no inferior to America’s F-35 series. And not too long ago, two new unusual flying objects were seen, one over the sky of Chengdu and the other, the sky of Shenyang. They might not be the prototypes, but certainly they were telling us that China was already in a very advanced stage of ushering in their 6^th generation fighters.

These feats were totally inconceivable seven or eight years ago. How has China’s aerospace come so far in such a short time?

I believe it is the Ukrainian factor.

Before its dissolution in 1991, Soviet Union’s nuclear arsenal was kept in four of its 15 republics – Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. Ukraine held about one third (about 1,700 warheads) of the inventory. Ukrainians also had significant knowledge of its design and production. However, these weapons were not under their control.

Upon declaring independence, Ukraine pledged to rid itself of nuclear weapons and in December 1994 the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, United Kingdom, and the United States signed a memorandum to provide Ukraine with security assurances in connection with its joining of the treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

But Ukraine could not get their acts together; the country was constantly plagued by political turmoil. The US was certainly the culprit. And due to mismanagement, Ukraine’s economy has been going down the drain since independence. It had to sell its family silvers.

Motor Sich came into the scene.

The firm had inherited a large part of the former Soviet Union's aero engine manufacturing capabilities. It produced turbofan, turboprop and rotary-wing turboshaft engines that powered aircraft in Russian service. In 2014, Motor Sich severed ties with Russia, which was its biggest client, and consequently had to look for new markets. It had no money. China was looking to advance its aerospace engine development and lost no time in knocking at Motor Sich’s door. Before this, China was already using Ukrainian engines to most of its fighter planes – from J-10 and all the way to J-20.

In 2017, China’s Skyrizon Aviation purchased a 41% holding in the company. Skyrizon Aviation agreed to invest $250 million in its Zaporizhzhia plant and helped Motor Sich to set up a new assembly and servicing plant in Chongqing.

But mood was already fast changing in Ukraine. NATO wannabe Volodymyr Zelenskyy was firmly in power. In March 2021, the Ukrainian government announced its intention to nationalize Motor Sich by buying back shares from Chinese holders. Zelenskyy also signed a decree imposing sanctions on Skyrizon. The latter responded with a $3.5 billion arbitration suit. Again, it was obviously who was behind the decision.

Be that as it may, China had two good years to do what they wanted in Motor Sich. With its unparallel ability to absorb and improve, China began to come up with advanced engines. The rest is history.

(Incidentally, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Motor Sic’s Zaporizhzhia plant had been struck multiple times by the Russians. It could have been destroyed by now.)

In naval technology
Besides jet engines, China had also used Ukraine’s UGT-25000 gas turbines to power its warships, including the very formidable Type 055 destroyers, which have a displacement of 13,000 tonnes.

Today, Chinese are eagerly waiting for the full commissioning of the country’s Type 003 aircraft carrier Fujian, said to be equipped with state-of-the-art electromagnetic catapult system. This feat could not have been possible without the covert purchase of an unfinished aircraft carrier from Ukraine in 1998.

We all know Liaoning (辽宁舰) is China’s first aircraft carrier. It was originally christened Riga and renamed Varyag in 1990. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, construction was halted, and the ship was put up for sale by Ukraine. The stripped hulk was sold in 1998 and after much delay, was towed to Dalian’s naval shipyard in 2002.

Xu Zengping is largely an unsung hero in China; he bought the ship in an auction in 1998 for $20 million, under the pretext of converting it into a casino.

The ship’s passage from Ukraine to China was torturous. When the tugboat approached the Bosphorus, Turkey denied permission for the ship to pass through, and the ship had to spend the next 16 months being towed around the Black Sea! China had to offer heavy trade and tourism concessions before it was allowed to move on. The whole journey was 28,200 km long and done under an average speed of six knots. Contrary to initial reports that the ship had no engines, all its four engines remained intact at the time of purchase. A refit restored them to working order in 2011. Today, it is in a combat-ready state.

Ukraine today
We all know the war has devastated the country. But Ukraine suffered brain drains even before the Russian invasion. Before the Soviet Union fell apart, Ukraine ranked second in terms of scientific potential amongst the fifteen former republics.

During the Soviet Union era, demand for research and innovation was largely oriented towards heavy industry and servicing military needs. It was incapable of adjusting. Some 20,000 young researchers soon left the country for greener pastures.

 

Coming of Age
After 30 years of relying on technologies from Ukraine, China is now completely capable of building their own military engines and turbines. Their advances have in fact frightened the US to a state of hysteria and paranoia.

We Chinese have a saying: 饮水思源 yǐn shuǐ sī yuan, which translates to "when drinking water, do think of its source. Even though China has arrived in terms of aerospace technology, it should thank the Ukrainians for its incredible achievements.

Many Ukrainian scientists have collaborated with Chinese scientists and worked in China, in universities and in defence research bodies. It is estimated that some 50,000 to 100,000 Ukrainian citizens live in China today, especially in Beijing, Shanghai, and Harbin. There was a highly published account of a senior Ukrainian ocean engineering expert called Yurly Semenov who is now a professor at the Harbin Engineering University, one of China’s top defence research universities.

Geopolitics has strange twists and turns. Without Zelenskyy’s decision – thanks to US promptings, of course – Chinese scientists and engineers might still be struggling to master the complexity of the West’s advanced aerospace and naval technologies.