When Dongfeng Express appeared in unison and C919 hovered in the sky, the 93 military parade was not only a self-display of China's military industry, but also a "declaration of determination" to the outside world.

This "military parade blockbuster" composed of technology and military power silently sends a signal: China is not an isolated island and will not be easily surrounded.

Shortly after the end of the military parade, a series of international dynamics occurred quickly. The United States "quietly" renamed the Ministry of Defense to the Ministry of War". 16 European countries discussed sending troops to Ukraine, but China and Russia quietly completed a technical breakthrough in cooperation with large aircraft.

This quiet collision actually hides a bigger question behind it: Is Trump's "bottleneck diplomacy" effective?

Trump's "bottleneck abacus"

Trump did not appear on a whim, but regarded "automatic parts exports" as the "trump card" to check and balance China. At the end of August, the Wall Street Journal revealed that he would impose punitive tariffs of up to 200% on China's rare earths.

And it implies that it is not ruled out that the supply of aviation parts is cut off. This is not groundless, but based on the current real shortcomings of COMAC: 75 C919s were originally scheduled to be delivered in 2024, but only 6 were handed over in the first seven months. After a check, it was found that the key reason was that the engines and avionics systems relied heavily on US and European technology, and their production capacity was "cracked".

Trump's logic is not complicated: If China wants to rely on rare earths to counter, then I will use the engine technology you rely on the most; if you don't give me rare earths, I will let you C919 fall into trouble.

However, he obviously overestimated the sustainability of the US technology monopoly, and even underestimated the tacit understanding between China and Russia that "you give me timely help, and I will give you strategic depth."

At the same time the United States was clamoring for sanctions, the Russian Vice Prime Minister suddenly announced that he would provide China with wide-body aircraft parts, composite wings, and PD-35 large thrust engines. This is not a simple technical transaction, but more like the formation of a "counter-resistance alliance".

This instantly put Trump's deterrent strategy into a passive state. The original "export blockade" strategy became a catalyst to help China accelerate domestic substitution and even find alternative solutions.

As the Global Times said: The United States' technology monopoly is a sand castle that cannot withstand the tide of the multipolar world.

China and Russia "technical group"

The reason why this Sino-Russian cooperation is particularly eye-catching is not only because of its "timely" but also because it has a new cooperation logic. Do you still remember the premature death of the CR929 project before?

At that time, China and Russia were constantly quarreling about dominance and technical standards, and the cooperation was incomplete, but this time, Russia's attitude changed significantly. The Vice Premier clearly stated that the dominant decision-making power of cooperation lies with China. In other words, Russia no longer argues for who will take the lead, but actively cooperates with China's technical route.

The technical level also has highlights. The maximum thrust of the PD-35 engine reaches 26 tons, far higher than the US-made Leap-1C (13.5 tons) used in the C919.

Although it is also necessary to verify its civil reliability, this engine has given China a strategic buffer in at least the thrust indicator. At the same time, Sinopec's aviation hydraulic oil also obtained the official certification of the Civil Aviation Administration in early August, which means that the domestic supporting system is gradually being filled.

For Russia, this cooperation can not only alleviate the pressure of Western technology blockade, but also open up a huge civil aviation market; for China, it is a rare "external support" that can shorten the research and development cycle of key technologies. This cooperation between China and Russia looks like a "timely help", but in fact it is a win-win geotechnical game.

The Road to Independent

Of course, cooperation belongs to cooperation, and strategic autonomy is the end point. Although the Russian-made PD-35 has strong thrust, it is not a master key for "plug and play".

According to the South China Morning Post, Russian-made engines need to adapt to the existing avionics system and structural design of the C919, a complete set of software and interface reconstruction is required.

Moreover, the commercial verification threshold for the engine is extremely high, and it takes at least thousands of hours of high-intensity testing. Don't forget that the Ti-204 was forced to ground due to frequent engine failures.

So, what makes people hope is actually the domestic Yangtze-1000A. According to Academician Zhang Yanzhong of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, this domestically produced large-thrust engine is expected to be installed in 2028.

Although there are still three years left, the current cooperation between China and Russia is to some extent to "buy time and grab windows" for domestic engines. The Global Times editorial pointed out the key: China-Russia cooperation is a tactical relief, but strategically, we must avoid "changing a dependence".

We can compare the development of high-speed rail. When China introduced Japanese and German technology, it was also "card interface" and "card standards", but now it has achieved full domestic production and even exported to the world.

The "domestic substitution" of aircraft engines is more difficult, but the logic is the same. First, borrow the power, then break the deadlock, and finally master the core.

93 military parade is a node. It not only demonstrates China's hard power, but also silently shows the acceleration of a technological breakthrough. Trump's attempt to build a "component trap" through technological threats has become a "god assist" that drives China and Russia closer.

In the short term, Russia's PD-35 can alleviate the production capacity pressure of C919 to a certain extent and gain breathing space for China's aviation industry. In the long run, only by truly installing the "Chinese heart" can the C919 not only fly high, but also steadily.

As Xinhua News Agency said, the core of the game between great powers has never been zero-sum, but a dual-wheel drive of "independent and controllable" and "international cooperation".

This Sino-Russian technical teaming is not only a response to the United States, but also a practical exercise for China to break through the global supply chain encirclement. In the future, who will be the ups and downs, not only depends on whose engine sounds, but also on who can truly master the technical soul of the engine.