Which Countries Use Chinese Fighter Jets?

Fighter planes are one of the most vital parts of any military. These advanced pieces of machinery are extremely difficult and expensive to manufacture, leaving only a handful of countries with the capability to design and manufacture them. Historically, countries like the United States, France, Germany (during World War II), and the Soviet Union (later Russia) have dominated this space. During the Cold War era, the United States and the Soviet Union became the dominant world powers, holding a significant chunk of the global fighter jet export market.

At the height of the Cold War, these two superpowers were locked in a constant battle for technological supremacy, resulting in the development of some of the most potent and capable fighter jets of the era. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the landscape shifted. China, which once imported and reverse-engineered Soviet aircraft, steadily built a formidable domestic aerospace industry. Today, China boasts an extensive arsenal of advanced fighter jets that include the Shenyang J-35, Shenyang J-16, Chengdu J-20, the JF-17 Thunder, and the Chengdu J-10.

While these jets have mostly been limited to Chinese domestic market, Pakistan has purchased China's J-10 and has been using it to disrupt Indian airstrikes, leading the world to turn its attention to Chinese fighter jets. As of 2025, the list of countries using Chinese fighter jets is ever-growing. Among the countries that use/have used Chinese-made fighter jets include:

• China
• Pakistan
• Bangladesh
• Egypt
• North Korea
• Myanmar
• Sudan
• Zambia
• Tanzania
• Zimbabwe

China has a long history of helping Pakistan militarily against India, leading to Pakistan being the number one importer of Chinese fighter jets. The notable Chinese-made fighter jets currently operated by Pakistan include the F-7 (72 units), and the J-10C multirole fighter (20 units active with five on order). Pakistan also operates a large fleet of the JF-17 Thunder Jet (123 units), which is manufactured in Pakistan, but has been jointly developed by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and China's Chengdu Aircraft Corporation.

Bangladesh operates 36 units of the Chengdu F-7, which is the only Chinese-made fighter jet in its fleet. Countries that use the older F-7 fighters include Myanmar — which also inducted six Guizhou FTC-2000 aircraft in 2023 — and North Korea, where the F-7 variant remains in service. Egypt no longer operates any F-7s, all been replaced, but it still uses around 118 Chinese-built Karakorum-8 (K-8). Several African nations, including Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania continue to fly the F-7 aircraft. A small number of J-17's have also been operated by Nigeria and Myanmar. Zambia is another nation that operates a small number of K-8s for training purposes.

While there is no denying that China has made rapid advancements in its capability to design and manufacture fighter jets, the country has yet to turn into a major combat exporter. In fact, as of 2024, the U.S. remains the undisputed leader in this space with a total of 996 combat aircraft on order, followed by France (214), Russia (71), and China (57).