Many of the 76 Chinese companies in attendance were first-time participants, underscoring CCP’s determination to expand its footprint in Europe’s aerospace.
PARIS—The 55th edition of the Paris Air Show concluded this Sunday, capping a week marked by geopolitical undertones. And this year, China played a prominent role in the event.
Held biennially at Le Bourget Airport, just outside Paris, the event is the world’s largest and most prestigious gathering in the aerospace and defense sectors.
Historically, the Chinese regime’s presence at the Paris Air Show had been relatively discreet, typically limited to a small number of state-controlled companies. But the 2025 edition marked a turning point: The number of Chinese exhibitors more than doubled, rising from 29 in 2023 to 76 this year, according to GIFAS, the French aerospace industry association that organizes the event.
This year’s show was held between June 16 and June 22. Mock-ups and models crowded the exhibition halls, illustrating the breadth of China’s aeronautics industry, from commercial airliners to military jets and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The C919 passenger jet of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) shared the spotlight with the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), China’s state-run aviation conglomerate, which displayed an array of aircraft and UAVs, including the J-10CE, J-35A, and J-20 fighters, the Y-20 military transport aircraft, the Z-20 helicopter, and the GJ-11 stealth UAV.
Civilian unmanned systems such as the Wing Loong series and the Xuange helicopter series were showcased, alongside specialized platforms, including the AG600M firefighting seaplane and the AC352 mid-sized utility helicopter, co-developed with France-based Airbus. In total, AVIC presented more than 30 models across eight aerospace categories.
First-Time Exhibitors Signal Strategic Intent
Many of the 76 Chinese companies in attendance were first-time participants, underscoring the determination of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to expand its footprint in Europe’s aerospace landscape.
Organizers of the Paris Air Show told The Epoch Times that they do not comment on the presence of Chinese companies.
“Whether Chinese or not, if you’re part of the aerospace industry, you want to be at the Paris Air Show,” Emmanuel Lincot, a French sinologist, professor at the Catholic Institute of Paris, and senior research fellow at the Institute for International and Strategic Relations, told The Epoch Times.
“For China, it’s clearly a golden opportunity to gain visibility and influence.”
