J-20 fighter jets dazzle spectators at Changchun Air Show

The J-20 fifth-generation stealth fighter jets on Friday dazzled spectators at the 2025 aviation open-day activities of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force and the Changchun Air Show in northeast China's Jilin Province.

Four J-20 fighter jets gave a tactical maneuver flight show on Friday morning. They conducted a flyby in a diamond-shaped formation and presented dazzling maneuvers, igniting spectators' enthusiasm.

"With the development of technology, the function of each J-20 fighter jet in a formation becomes more prominent. For example, the third-generation aircraft were usually deployed in pairs to carry out a mission. However, now four J-20 jets are often deployed in a formation to carry out various combat missions, with each having its own function to form a small system," said Zhang Kai from an aviation regiment of the Air Force. In addition to the formation performance, the J-20s also made their debut to escort a KJ-500 early warning aircraft at the event.

The PLA Air Force has also placed a J-20 stealth fighter jet on static display, enabling spectators to see the jets at close range.

This is the first time that members of the public are allowed to have a close look at the radar-evading fighter, which features world-class technology and capability.

A large crowd of spectators clustered outside the cordon in front of the J-20's parking stand, waiting for its return. They burst into cheers and applause when the aircraft taxied back to the stand.

Designed by the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, an Aviation Industry Corp of China subsidiary in southwest China's Sichuan Province, the J-20 is China's first stealth-class combat aircraft and so far the largest and heaviest fighter in service in the military.

J-20 fighter jets dazzle spectators at Changchun Air Show

The European Union economy could edge close to a recession if the energy supply shock triggered by the Middle East conflict continues, a senior International Monetary Fund (IMF) official warned on Friday.

Alfred Kammer, director of the IMF's European department, said that under the current tense situation involving Iran, euro area growth is projected to be dragged down by 0.5 percentage point over the next two years. In a more severe scenario, the drag could reach 1.7 percentage points, he added.

Kammer also cautioned that industrial energy prices in the EU are now about twice the level seen before 2022 and significantly higher than in the United States, a direct consequence of the bloc's heavy dependence on imported oil and gas.

Data released by Eurostat on Thursday showed that euro area inflation rose to 2.6 percent year on year in March, up sharply from 1.9 percent in February. Energy prices increased 4.9 percent annually, marking their first annual gain since February 2025.

In its latest World Economic Outlook, the IMF projected that due to the energy supply shock from the Middle East conflict, euro area inflation will reach 2.6 percent this year, up from 2.1 percent in 2025, while growth will slow to just 1.3 percent. In a more severe scenario, inflation could spike to nearly 5 percent, prompting the European Central Bank to raise interest rates and pushing the EU economy toward recession-like conditions, the report said.

IMF warns EU economy could "near recession" if Mideast conflict persists