Pakistan is selling warplanes it jointly developed with China to the Libyan National Army (LNA), a move analysts said could serve as a gateway for Beijing to expand its influence into North Africa. In one of Pakistan’s largest-ever arms deals, 16 of the JF-17 “Thunder” fighters were listed among the over US$4 billion worth of military equipment sold to the force led by Khalifa Hifter , which controls the east of the country. While most previous sales have been conducted through Pakistan, the latest Pentagon China military power report named the JF-17 as the bestselling Chinese-designed fixed-wing aircraft on the global market. “The deal is a way of expanding China’s geopolitical influence through defence-industrial partnerships,” said Liselotte Odgaard, non-resident senior fellow at Hudson Institute. “It enables China to establish market presence behind the veneer of Pakistani exports.”AdvertisementThe JF-17 is a fourth-generation single-engine, multi-role aircraft developed jointly by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 27, 2025 16:37 UTC