It was conceived in the early 1960s as a low-risk program based on enlarging the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21F, a version of which the PRC was producing as the Chengdu J-7.

The original J-8 experienced protracted development due to disruption from the Cultural Revolution; the prototypes first flew in 1969[2] but the design was not finalized until 1979 with the aircraft entering service in 1980.

The Chinese Aeronautical Establishment held a conference on 25 October to discuss future fighters.

The J-8 offered lower technical risk and received higher priority and political support;[2] the J-9 was later cancelled in 1980.

[2][3] The J-8 was shared some features with the J-7, including the front-hinged single-piece cockpit canopy, landing gear design, and positioning of the ventral air brakes.

The Shenyang Aircraft Factory was expected to complete a prototype by the end of 1966, but Gao Fangqi – its chief engineer – died and his successor, Liu Hongzhi, was dismissed in November 1966 during the Cultural Revolution.

The construction of two prototypes was slow due to being done "almost clandestinely"; the first, "001 Red" was built from August 1967 to June 1968.

001 Red was damaged during high-speed taxiing tests on 19 December 1968,[2] and made its first successful flight on 5 July 1969 piloted by Yin Yuhuan.

Shortly afterward, the programme stalled due to the disbanding of Flight Test Command and Shenyang's Chief Design Office.

[13] In 1980, Shenyang began investigating improving the J-8 by using ideas embodied by contemporary aircraft like the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II and the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23.

[14] The improved J-8 IIB (or J-8B Block 02), fitted with the KLJ-1 (Type 208A) radar and avionics from the J-7C, flew in November 1989 and entered production in 1996.

The J-8 IV was used primarily by the People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force and armed with the PL-9 AAM.

[16] The 1986 "Peace Pearl" program with the United States included upgrading 50-55 J-8 IIs with US avionics, Martin-Baker ejection seats, and possible US engines for US$502 million.

Two aircraft were flown to the US for prototyping, and work was underway by the time of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre.

[19] On 1 April 2001, a J-8B collided with a United States Navy Lockheed EP-3E ARIES II signals intelligence aircraft 70 miles southeast of Hainan Island.