FC-31 stealth fighter could be used as a model to replace the J-15 for now.  The People's Lieutenant General Zhang Honghe, deputy head of the PLA Air Force, also told the South China Morning Post that a "new carrier-based fighter to replace the J-15" was being developed.

The need to develop a new fighter jet has become more pressing after a series of "unpardonable mechanical failures" that have killed one top PLA pilot and injured another.

Two sources close to the military told the Post there had been at least four crashes involving the J-15, although only two of them have been reported by state media.

"The J-15 is a problematic aircraft — its unstable flight control system was the key factor behind the two fatal accidents two years ago," one of the sources said.

http://www.businessinsider.com/china-looking-for-a-new-carrier-based-fighter-jet-2018-7?amp%3Butm_medium=referral