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People’s Daily-: The U.S. Forced China to Become a Powerful AWACS Country

People’s Daily reported that pictures of two domestic AWACS (early warning aircraft), the export-oriented ZDK-03 (also known as the "Kunlun Hawk") and a new medium-sized AWACS, were widely exposed on the Internet. The report boasted that China’s AWACS came into being because the U.S. blockage forced China to create it. It will be able to overcome the F-22 stealth fighter jet. 

The report said, “The ZDK-03 has been exported to Pakistan, making China the fifth country after the United States, Russia, Israel, and Sweden to export the AWACS system. 
“Over the past year, as part of the ‘Liaoning’ aircraft carrier’s supporting projects, the Chinese navy also produced domestic ship-borne early warning helicopters and JZY-1 fixed-wing carrier early warning aircraft. In addition, the air marshals -2000 and -200 flew over Tiananmen Square in the 60th national anniversary military parade, China has developed six AWACS over the last 10 years. Moreover, they are equipped with the world’s most advanced airborne active phased array radar.” 
The report stated, “Originally due to the American technology blockade, we were forced to engage in research on the early-warning aircraft on our own. Therefore, [China’s AWACS] are also called China’s contemporary ‘credit-building machine.’"

Source: People’s Daily, June 5, 2013
http://military.people.com.cn/n/2013/0605/c1011-21740027.html