What Argentina needs are the JF-17s.
How can you tell what they need? The military are an instrument of policy thus, arms acquisitions are planned according to how the country perceives the main threats to is security and to internal policy considerations, for instance, the relative importance of defense spending viz-a-viz other budget priorities. In this context I think it´s unidimensional to state that Argentina needs Chinese fighters to keep its non-aligned status.
There are several questions we need to ask first? Do these fighters fulfill their needs? What are these needs? Retaking the Falklands? Keeping Chile or Brazil at bay? Just patrolling its air space? How much money is the government willing to spend? Will Chinese fighters fit in with the existing infrastructure? With the existing doctrine? Is the government interested in such a strategic partnership? Or does it prefer closer defense ties with European countries? Etc, etc, etc.
Without answers for these I think it’s too risky to make assumptions such as the one quoted at the beginning of this post. BTW, a useful reading in this regard is the 2010 White Book at http://www.mindef.gob.ar/libro_blanco/Libro_Blanco_de_la_Defensa.pdf (in Spanish).
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