I would have to disagree. They can easily fall for Western influence as long as the West still has some degree of economic leadership. Despite all of their boasting, they in reality yearn for the West to recognize them as Western and as equals. If the title, “Western”, turns into something one despises, I guarantee you they will definitely not fall into the Western sphere of influence.
Russia had never been a true ally and countries have never been “true” allies. The reason why this myth of a true alliance is brought up is because the West won the Cold War and had the largest combined economy in the world. If (more like when at this point) they lose that advantage and have to depend on another country for their meals, they will eat each other like a pack of starving dogs over a hunk of meat.
Now, back on topic, I believe that even if (emphasis on if) this fighter is a true 5th gen fighter and is good enough to pose a challenge to the current PLAAF, PLAN, or even the USN and USAF, its delivery may take a couple of years if we use the Su57’s delivery and production timeline as a model. In short, in a couple of years, thanks to the ongoing de facto arms race, the advantage the 5th generation fighters enjoyed for the past few decades will have been eroded.
