There has been no shortage of wishful thinking of new Chinese bombers, but if and when they do going to make one, the first clue won't be at the production facility, but renovation at bomber base - especially those with nuclear roles - that allows the operation of bombers bigger than H-6.
Or, the PLAAF will design a bomber that can take advantage of the most important aspects of the existing infrastructure while meeting their mission parameters and save the cost of a lot of the upgrade.
We shall see.
I veiw the venerable H-6 like the US B-52Hs. Basically they have been turned into missile launchers for standoff weapons. For the later module H-6s with their capability to carry 6 ALCM, this is a significant capability and if the missiles have good range and good electronic capabilities, they are a potent force for either land attack or strike at sea missions. And certainly continued air support with non stand-off, non-precision bombs when air dominance is maintained for close support.
The US uses the B-52Hs similarly. Lots of use in the last years from desert Strom (1991) on through that war, the Serbian war, Afghanistan,again in Iraq, etc. They have been used in both the loiter Close Air Support role with less sophisticated weapons, and in the standoff roll with ALCMs.
Of course the B-52H can carry either 20 ALCMs or 12 of the latest Harpoon missiles. The reason for the difference is that the Harpoon will not fit on the internal bomb bay Common Strategic Rotary Launcher (CSRL) which holds eight missiles. Six missiles fit on lon pylons under each wing inboard of the first engines...for a total of twelve on the wings.
Here's 12 ALCMs under on the two wing pylons.
Here's the CSRL internal to the B-52 with eight ALCMs.
