Coincides with visit by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
Robert Gates, U.S. Secretary of Defense, confirmed Tuesday that China has conducted a test flight of a new stealth fighter jet. Hu Jintao told Gates about the J-20’s first flight in a meeting after pictures of it appeared on the front page of a Chinese newspaper. “It’s not a concern,” a Pentagon spokesman told the media. However, Gates told reporters that China “clearly has potential to put some of our capabilities at risk. “We have to pay attention to them, we have to respond appropriately with our own programs.” At this point, it’s unclear whether the J-20 can match the Americans’ F-22 Raptor fighter.