Several days ago, UPI carried a major report that China was buying the entire line of TU-22M

strategic strike bombers from Russia. The news was quickly picked up by a number of internet military websites, most of them quite well known for carrying sensationalist news about China. The US is getting rather aggressive or assertive in east Asia, particularly in those areas within Chinas immediate periphery. The US is known to be behind the building of the Jeju base, or the newest Pearl Harbor just off the South Korea coast that directly faces Chinas major cities and ports. Thus, the many foreign and also its local websites naturally expect China to do something about this growing US assertiveness or threat. Perhaps forcing itself to buy the strategic maritime strike bomber, the TU-22M ? China is unlikely to purchase the TU-22 mainly because it is too obsolete. This kind of plane will simply fare very poorly when forced to fly over or close to territory that belongs to the hostile side. The bases, warships and warplanes of the enemy are so very close nearby as can be discerned from the map. It will have slim chances of survival in this kind of environment. A better candidate to confront or ward off possible amorous moves by the US in theYellow Sea is either the J-8 or the JH-7 fighter. These planes are relatively inexpensive ( for dangerous missions) and therefore can be used against the Jeju threat without incurring too heavy a loss. But they need to be accompanied by killer drones and / or miniature air-launched decoys (MALD mini-drones) to have any chance of success against the US threat.