Z-20 as a project first came to known in public in 2006, its first flight was in 2013, and how soon it move from prototype stage to production stage has a lot to do with how much priority the project gets - Z-8 has been in more of a limbo for decades, just enough to keep the manufactorum from going under but nothing more, some thought with the introduction of Mi-17 in quanities would spell the end of Z-8 but instead of going domestic production with Mi-17, Z-8 gets a major modernisation effort and reborn as Z-16.
We've been expecting the Z-15 taking the baton from Z-9, which is too big for light helo but too small for medium utility class, but it's first flight was 7 years behind the H175 (Airbus-built) version and 3 behind Z-20's, if not also losing the "Z" prefix (mark of military affiliation) and use the AC352 instead.
Given the Z-20 ain't exactly technologically ground-breaking (alas, it could finally bust open a door that the PLA has a first glimpse since the first S-70 came to China), they might actually starts LRIP this year, in order to introduce an IOC-certified squadron in 2019, just in time for the national day parade.
