Brumby
Major
We know what IOC means according to the US because there is a clear definition of what it means. I think it would be misleading to use IOC for the Chinese side because (i) it is not a term that is adopted by the Chinese and (ii) it would not be appropriate to call something having achieved IOC when we don't know what it means and have no way in determining such a status.I believe that the original words used were merely "enter service" rather than "IOC" -- but that interview I think was in 2009, so my memory might be a bit faulty.
I think over the years it has been interpreted and assumed by some people that it would be the Chinese military equivalent of IOC, though we obviously do not know what that explicitly constitutes.
edit: also, the original date mentioned back in the 2009 interview was "8-10 years" -- i.e.: 2017-2019, not 2017-2018.
I think entering service is fine because the term is broad enough in meaning.