China’s military apparently released the first official footage of its sixth-generation fighter over the weekend – a move that analysts said might suggest Beijing was ahead of its competitors, including the US, in developing the next generation of warplanes.

China Military Bugle, the official press account of the People’s Liberation Army, published a four-minute video on Sunday marking the 10th anniversary of China’s first heavy transport aircraft, the Y-20, entering service.

In the video’s closing sequence, the Y-20’s co-pilot asked the captain: “Who are we refuelling today?” He replied: “First the ‘Master Six’, then the ‘Little Six’.”

The camera then shifted to the view outside the cockpit window, capturing a fleeting, blurry silhouette of a tailless plane widely believed to be a sixth-generation fighter.

“Master Six” is an informal nickname used by Chinese defence enthusiasts for the H-6 strategic bomber, but the nickname “Little Six” – a clear reference to the sixth-generation fighter – had not appeared in official military media before.

The brief sequence, which generated widespread discussion online, was significant because it was the first implicit acknowledgement of the sixth-generation fighter in official military media.