Airshow China 2024 opens to public, drawing thousands of aviation fans

Crowds gathered before dawn in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai on Friday as the country's largest air show opened its doors to the public, offering rare glimpses of China's latest military and space achievements.

The 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Airshow China, is running from Tuesday to Sunday.

The three-day public viewing session is expected to draw 115,000 visitors on its first day alone, with organizers implementing crowd control measures at several pavilions due to overwhelming interest.

China unveiled its domestically-developed new-generation stealth fighter jets J-20s and J-35A at this year's show, becoming a country with two types of active stealth warcraft.

Some veteran army fans carrying lenses of different sizes said that they are proud to witness the gathering of various advanced aircraft and remarkable progress of China's military equipment development.

"I want to see the cutting-edge fighter jets of our country's aviation industry, and our advanced air defense. As an army fan, I am looking forward to our country's high-tech aviation products and military products. I feel very excited, and very proud of the development of our country's military equipment," said a visitor.

Among the most sought-after exhibits is a sample of lunar soil from the far side of the moon - a world's first - brought back by China's Chang'e-6 mission. "I arrived last night, and today is my first day at the airshow. It is the lunar soil from the far side of the moon brought back by Chang'e-6. It is the world's first lunar soil collected from the far side of the moon, and it was collected by China. Because I am a little space fan, I am very interested in this kind of knowledge about China's space program," said a young visitor.

Covering more than 800,000 square meters, this year's show has attracted 1,022 companies from 47 countries and regions. A new dedicated area for unmanned systems showcases the growing importance of drone technology in both civilian and military applications.

The show's aerial demonstrations have drawn particular attention, featuring formation flights by some of China's most advanced military aircraft. The J-20 stealth fighter, J-35A carrier-based fighter, and YU-20 tanker aircraft took to the skies, alongside displays from the People's Liberation Army Air Force's aerobatic team.

On the ground, visitors queued to see Y-20 transport aircraft and the HQ-19 anti-ballistic missile system, with timed entry slots implemented for crowd management.

The exhibition, which will run through Sunday, comes as China continues to emphasize its technological self-sufficiency amid growing international tensions and trade restrictions in critical tech sectors.

Airshow China 2024 opens to public, drawing thousands of aviation fans

China's consumption growth continues to show resilience, with millions of new restaurants opening last year, underscoring robust demand in the domestic catering sector, said Zhang Yichen, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Zhang, who is CEO of CITIC Capital and chairs the master franchise of McDonald's China, told China Global Television Network (CGTN) that 3.5 million new restaurants opened across the country last year, including about 1,000 new McDonald's outlets annually.

At this year's "two sessions," Zhang urged policymakers to introduce measures that would encourage dine-in consumption, linking the restaurant boom to broader efforts to sustain domestic demand.

"This is the amazing resilience of the Chinese economy and Chinese enterprises overall. It's that you have another 3.5 million restaurants, new restaurants, opened," he said.

Zhang believes the key challenge now is reviving in-person dining and shopping to sustain long-term consumption growth.

"In the short term we're actually gaining from that. But in the long run, I believe overall the industry will suffer and the economy will suffer. That's why I brought up the issue and I'm so glad that the government is clearly agreeing with my views. The fact that we're (McDonald's China) opening 1000 restaurants a year and the fact that there are new restaurants still doing very well, it's a clear indication there is consumption power, you just have to find them," he said.

The "two sessions" are the annual meetings of China's supreme organ of state power, the National People's Congress (NPC), and the top political advisory body, the CPPCC. Both bodies serve five-year terms and hold a plenary session each year.

The fourth session of the 14th NPC and the fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC opened in Beijing on March 5 and March 4, respectively.

Zhang’s remarks underscore both the resilience of China's consumer market and the need for policies to secure sustained demand, a key focus of this year’s "two sessions."

CPPCC member seeks measures to boost dine-in consumption as China's demand stays resilient