The air show is for the consumption of the general Public to cheer and do clapping.
According to the chief designer of Xiliong FC-1, there is no competition of the fighter plane in an international market and international ties and relations plays a vital role in an export deal.
Why JF-17 is attractive ? Before China emerges as weapon importer in an international market there were two players namely West which is USA and Europe and Soviet/Russia. Both the parties sold their weapons to each other allies, and for the non allied nations it depends on the benifits and the interest of both of them. A country could buyed the weapon, but when comes the high tech weapons like anti ship cruise missile and BVR, they make a pact between each other to not to give if it seriously threatened their interest. But when China emerges with its weapon and gave the world more high tech weapons, which many countries wanted and dreamed but somehow they are denied due to interest and pressure by various forces altogether the whole scene changes. Now Argentina could buy anti ship missile, instead of searching Harpoon from the black market, and countries could look to arm its airforce with the BVR, and SAM like HQ-9. Chinese FC-1 is also a part of this attractive package, which would give the small airforce what they desired and dream like a decent fighter plane with BVR, and cruise missile, which was not so easy to get before.
LCA on the otherhand was the effort of the India to build its Aerospace industry, and to lower the technological gap which she was lagging. With LCA, India could now think upon more advance program, and to upgrade its older aircraft indigenously. In India their is one hidden man very powerful his name is the Import Lobbist Gang, who do not want such thing, because it seriously affects his profits, and they will try to put as much stone in his way, but LCA survives kuddo to some of the hardworking scientists and engineers who gave India a chance to build its aerospace industry and to get some space for the indegenous effort.
Nobody is perfect, and LCA is not going to change things suddenly, but it is just a small milestone in Indian effort, to reach the stage, where it could fulfill its military needs.