Many years of speculation on Chinese 5th gen fighter plane program, tantamount to the American Raptor F-22, have been finally confirmed.
An available photo shows a large twin-engined craft whose body is shaped for maximum deflection of radar beams. Though it appears to be a prototype, it is actually a full-size mock-up, which doesn't mean an actual prototype isn't already flying somewhere away from the public eye. Western sources have so far claimed that China is working on 2 parallel 5th-gen fighter projects, one marked J-13 (by SAC) and shares some similarities with Raptor, and the other is J-12 (by CAC). The J-14 from the photo is more similar to Mig 1-44 whereas chinese plane has more accentuated stealth features. Surprising too is the designation "J-14" which suggests projects J-12 and J-13 might have been discarded meanwhile.
Judging from the photo the planes estimated length is about 20 meters and wingspan greater than 15 meters. Maximum take-off weight is 30 tonns or more. Large bulges in the rear section of the plane suggest installation of big, powerful turboshaft engines with maximal thrust of about 180 kN.
Such powerplant should be sufficient for maximum speed greater than Mach 2.30 and supercruise without use of afterburners of around 1700 km/h.
As the Chinese aeronautical industry is still insufficiently advanced to develop such a sopfisticated project, Russian assistance is obvious.