Fact sheet:
Status of the Airforce
China:
-Most of China's air force is not deemed capable (the rest date to refurbished Soviet planes from the 1970s)
-inferior early warning and control. Its new force of Y-8-based KJ-200 and adapted KJ-2000 platforms are untested,
-inferior training of pilots
-only one old aircraft carrier
-J-31 deemed as a cheap rip-off of the F-35 with most of its sub-systems missing
Japan:
-Superior early warning and control, four recently upgraded E-767 AEW&C aircraft
-superior aircraft carrier
-Within couple of years Japan will get stealth jet F-35 (force multiplier)
-Japan is working on their national jet ATD-X Shinshin
-Superior air defense (Missile-3 and Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptors)
-Superior air awareness thanks to US/NATO air reconnaissance
Expert's view
-"In short, Japan has a significant edge," says Oriana Mastro, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security think tank. "But the Chinese can create challenges for Japan to maintain aerial superiority."
-"In a conflict Japan would have far better situational awareness," the source says. "Also, Japanese pilots are able to operate autonomously of ground control"
-Wortzel said, “Japan has the strongest navy and air force in Asia except for the United States,”
-"The F-35 is Liaoning's worst nightmare, China's state-owned Global Times reported based on a Kanwa Asian Defense, which found that the F-35 could strike the Liaoning with hard-to-intercept joint strike missiles from a safe distance of 290km. The F-35 should also be able to locate and engage China's main aircraft, the J-15, before the F-35 is even detected."
Sources:
PLA air force still can not match for Japan’s JASDF | China Defense Mashup
J-31 stealth jet gets bad reviews after Zhuhai Airshow flight|Politics|News|WantChinaTimes.com
Rollout of Japan’s new Mitsubishi ATD-X Shinshin stealth fighter jet prototype | global aviation report