PLAAF Flanker rip-off's alone outnumber our IAF by a significant measure.
The main question, which Google Maps has not yet answered, is the current infrastructure buildup in the airbases of Hotan, Ngari and even Shigatse. If hardened shelters have not yet been built, then they are not at all prepared to fight in the air.
That's why cruise-missiles & longer-ranged guided rockets.
Fighter jets are actually the main option against the Chinese. Firing cheap cruise missiles without a complex SEAD/DEAD plan involving aircraft will fail spectacularly. The Chinese air defences are far more advanced and numerous than what the USAF have. In fact, the US admit to their failure in matching their buildup. The longer the range you fire your missile from, the greater is the possibility of failure, due to the simple reason that a CM cannot actively protect itself. At best, you can sneak some in while your fighter jets are engaging their fighter jets and AD.
Cheap cruise missiles like the Tomahawk are not going to penetrate their defences on their own. We are in need of much more advanced missiles with a lot of focus on stealth and survivability (including speed), like the SCALP, JASSM/JASSM-ER, the Brahmos family etc.
Some argue that you can use a combination of ECM and saturation attacks. It used to be a good argument back in the 90s and 2000s, and successfully put to use, but that's practically not feasible now considering modern AESA radars can track and engage far more targets at once, especially with all the automation and networking.
Our plan to breach air defences is not by using cheap GLCMs like the Tomahawk, but expensive ALCMs, like SCALP, Brahmos-A, KH-31 etc, missiles that are actually capable of breaching air defences. Once SEAD/DEAD is successful, then cheap missiles like the Tomahawk will be needed, which is more useful for the army rather than the air force at that point.
So, we choose to send our pilots the harm's way. Avoidable .................by better planning & threat-based procurement.
The USAF is planning to induct 10,000 LRASM and JASSM-ERs. These are expensive missiles. Definitely puts our 216 Brahmos-A to shame. To put things in perspective, look at the sheer size of Russian S-400 inductions: 28 regiments by this year, no idea how many more beyond that. And they have similar quantities of S-300 and Buk. And they will follow that up with dozens of regiments of the S-500. And this is only their air force. And here we are happy with 5 regiments of S-400 or 5 regiments of MRSAM or 4 regiments of Akash etc. You can bet the Chinese are easily much more than the Russians.
So the Chinese, Russians and Americans play at that level. We are not going to get through Chinese defences by throwing money at them at our current level. Until we can play at that level, we have to risk our lives, and we have to risk our fighter jets. Which is why I always say that war is for the rich.
seldom bites". 
