Market & IndustrySmart
Chinese fighter exports and the lesson from the car market
Beijing is applying an aggressive industrial strategy to aerospace too, with tactics that resemble the global car business.
31 August 2026 1 min read 11 views
China is pushing to win fighter export orders with an approach that looks a lot like the one used in the car industry: sharp pricing, scale, industrial depth and strong state backing. The comparison with Western manufacturers shows that production power now matters almost as much as technology.
For Italian and European industry, the signal is clear: in a global market, good design is not enough. Companies also need rapid scaling and a strong export presence. That is the same challenge that has turned the car market into an increasingly geopolitical arena.