When China had a falling out with the Soviet Union, the U.S. decided to build a relationship with it to help counter the Russians. As part of this relationship-building, America offered to develop a main battle tank based on the Chinese Type 59 tank, which is a licensed-built T-54A, in 1988.
This main battle tank was supposed to be called the Jaguar and was an improvement of the Type 59. The U.S. tapped Cadillac Gage to work with the China National Machinery & Equipment Import & Export Corporation to modernize the Type 59 and turn it into the Jaguar MBT.
It was supposed to get the British L7 105mm cannon, a digital fire control system, a night-vision system, and a laser rangefinder. It was also set to receive a more powerful 750hp engine, an automatic transmission system, and spaced armor on top of the Type 59’s base protection.
However, the Tiananmen Square Massacre the following year poisoned Chinese-American cooperation, stopping its joint development. Although Cadillac Gage continued development on its own, the fall of the Berlin Wall in late 1989 meant war was over, and no one was interested in the Jaguar.
