Tensions in the South China Sea between China and the United States have significantly escalated due to American support for maintaining Taiwan’s independence. In response, China has steadily increased its aerial presence in the region, deploying multiple J-16 squadrons and, more notably, ramping up production of its most advanced fighter jet to date: the J-20 Mighty Dragon.The J-20 is a direct competitor to the American F-22 and F-35 stealth aircraft, which are operated by South Korean and Japanese allies. Although the J-20 has been deployed in the Pacific since 2017, there has been no recorded encounter between it and the F-35—until now.In March of 2022, the US Air Force confirmed the first contact between the two aircraft. China followed in August of 2022, although neither side released footage of the encounter.However, in January of 2023, China published a propaganda video that, according to some analysts, finally included footage of the dramatic initial encounter between two of the world’s most formidable aircraft…—