I think that these machines are just as safe and reliable as any "western" built machines.
If I buy a car and park it in my garage for 20 years, does that make it the safest car ever built? Statistically yes.
If I drive it 20 miles a year? Or perhaps 200,000 miles a year?
When considering aircraft accident statistics, it doesn't matter a jot how many were built and how many have since crashed, unless you also factor in how many sectors/hours were flown. I don't understand how this cannot be blindingly obvious....
100 aircraft built, 10 crashed, 1,000,000 miles flown
100 aircraft built, 10 crashed, 10,000 miles flown....
If you ignore the third data value from both rows, those two 'aircraft' have identical safety statistics according to Motrealguy. Which is obviously rubbish.
I know which of the two I'd pick if I had to take a flight.
- GY