The United States should not discount China’s high-tech threat. But at the same time, America must not fall for a Chinese psyop designed to bait it into overspending.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of global military technology, China’s Nantianmen Project is a bold initiative that allegedly pushes the boundaries of aerospace innovation—yet its cheerleaders on social media are also exaggerating what this project will do, or even if it can be achieved, as part of a wider propaganda push.
Nevertheless, this project is something Western military leaders and intelligence analysts should keep an eye on. Over the last three decades, underestimating China has consistently proven to be a bad bet.
What to Know About China’s “South Heavenly Gate”
Translating to “South Heavenly Gate,” this ambitious program, spearheaded by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), aims to develop integrated space-air fighters capable of hypersonic speeds and orbital operations. Unveiled through conceptual models and state media, the project symbolizes China’s drive to achieve technological supremacy in sixth-generation fighter jets and next-level space warfare.
As nations race to dominate near-space environments, the Nantianmen Project highlights Beijing’s strategy focus on hypersonic spaceplanes, blending cutting-edge engineering with futuristic visions.
The origins of the Nantianmen Project trace back to at least 2019, when AVIC first showcased models at events like the Changchun Air Force Open Day. Described as a comprehensive space technology research program, Nantianmen initially featured science-fiction-inspired concepts, such as the “Luanniao” space carrier—an airborne aircraft carrier equipped with unmanned fighters—and the “Xuannv” space fighter, boasting advanced features like meson circulation generators and particle accelerator cannons.
These elements drew from mythological names, emphasizing a fusion of imagination and practical research and development. At the time, the whole thing seemed to many observers like a psychological operation intended to trick the Americans, baiting them into over-investing in their own wünderwaffen concepts that would both underdeliver and break the American budget.
By 2023, the Chinese military released a conceptual video, further publicizing weapons like electromagnetic guns and hypersonic weapon systems. The project’s evolution culminated in November 2024 at the Zhuhai Airshow, where a life-sized mockup of its flagship concept, the White Emperor (Baidi) fighter, was revealed, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). This even underscored China’s accelerating progress in aerospace, positioning Nantianmen as a key player in the global arms race.
There’s much puffery surrounding the Nantianmen Project. From aforementioned flying aircraft carriers and accelerator beam cannons, almost none of it has come to fruition after many years of posturing by Beijing. Instead, the White Emperor sixth-generation warplane is the only tangible aspect of this ongoing program.
Even then, there is much hype surrounding the White Emperor, which continues to be an experimental prototype. What’s more, this experimental prototype—billed essentially as a starfighter, like the X-Wing from Star Wars—has never proven itself to be capable of actual sixth-generation warplane operations.
Separating Fact from Fiction
This is not to say that the Chinese have not built a true sixth-generation warplane or that they could not mass produce such a system. Indeed, the Chinese are more likely to successfully mass produce this system and have it ready for combat far sooner than anything the Americans are supposedly developing.
But, with China massively producing their fifth-generation warplanes—the J-20 and J-35—and with the Americans struggling to ensure their own fifth-generation warplane, the F-35 Lightning II is even fully combat ready, it begs the question as to why Beijing would want to waste time and resources on what amounts to a flight of fancy.
As for the White Emperor sixth-generation bird, if it ever makes it off the drawing board, it will be a hypersonic spaceplane that boasts an aerodynamic, stealth-optimized fuselage with delta-style wings and canards for enhanced maneuverability at supersonic speeds. According to Beijing’s plans, the plane will be capable of breaking through Earth’s atmosphere, enabling it to perform operations in near-space, potentially engaging satellites or disrupting orbital assets like GPS systems.
China claims that its Type B variant features upgraded avionics, including artificial intelligence-driven data fusion for superior situational awareness, improved cockpit designs, and modular construction for easier maintenance. Its internal weapons bay is enlarged to accommodate heavy air-to-ground munitions while preserving stealth by minimizing radar and infrared signatures.
In short, if there’s any truth to China’s Nantianmen Project, this proposed system represents not only a response to America’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) but something that will far surpass what the Americans are trying to develop. By integrating space-air capabilities, this system would enable “space dogfights,” hunting satellites and supporting precision strikes in regions, like the South China Sea (SCS) or Taiwan Strait.
This aligns with Beijing’s military modernization, enhancing reconnaissance and strike options along borders, such as the Line of Action Control (LAC) with India. Analysts, including former PLA instructor Song Zhongping, praise this system as a necessary leap toward setting China’s leadership in global aerospace standards. US Air Force Gen. Mark Kelly, meanwhile, acknowledges China’s rapid progress in countering America’s air dominance. For China’s neighbors, notably India, this development necessitates accelerating their own indigenous developments, like India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
America Must Not Lose Its Head
While China has made truly impressive strides with its military technology, the overarching program, as it has been presented in the media, faces many hurdles before it could ever be believed. In its entirety, one would be safe in assuming that the program never gets off the drawing board. But the underlying technological aspects of the program, such as the development of hypersonic weapons and railguns, suggest China is making tangible gains.
China’s Nantianmen Project exemplifies the nation’s ambition in hypersonic spaceplanes and sixth-generation fighters. Yet, there is much about this program that simply has not been proven true. While the recently-unveiled White Emperor appears to be a working prototype, and the underlying technology involved in this project is being developed at breakneck pace, the project as it has been presented publicly remains theoretical.
The United States should not discount China’s high-tech threat. But at the same time, America must not fall for a Chinese psyop designed to take them down the same way President Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) took down the Soviet Union—forcing the superpower to neglect economic progress and risk implosion in pursuit of a high-end technological achievement that will ultimately have marginal military value.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert is a senior national security editor at The National Interest. Recently, Weichert became the host of The National Security Hour on America Outloud News and iHeartRadio, where he discusses national security policy every Wednesday at 8pm Eastern. He is also a contributor at Popular Mechanics and has consulted regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including The Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, The Asia Times, and others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock / Sanit Fuangnakhon.
