It's not only about technology.
When a customer spends hundreds of millions on airframes and engines it enters a 20 year marriage with the manufacturer. In response it expects impeccable support.
Unless the airlines believe the manufacturer gets the best possible person to develop and run support services the project will fail. In this regard the Russians have the same problem as the Chinese. No customer wants to discover the hard way that the responsive support chief has fallen foul of politics / corruption and has been replaced by a government croney.
Never were truer words spoken - and this is an area where China repeatedly falls down badly. They fail to understand the vitally important principles of "product backup", of the value of "name brands", and the superior response (by purchasers) to a name brand, that has repeatedly produced a quality product over a long period of time.
You would get your aircraft engine from China, produced from Glorious Golden Treasure Aircraft Engine Factory Number One, and wearing the Fan Lei brand - but your buddy would get his engine from The Glorious East Is Red Aircraft Engine Factory Number Three - and wearing the Long March brand.
Neither engine would consist of any compatible parts, nor would they have comprehensive manuals written in clear and competent English - and the following month, you'd find the managers and a range of suppliers to Glorious Golden Treasure Aircraft Engine Factory Number One have all been jailed on corruption charges, and you'd find parts for your most excellent Chinese aircraft engine are not available, due to the major factory disruption.
