China’s Military Is Growing—Fast

[beijingwalker]

China’s Military Is Growing—Fast
Michael Byhoff, Bloomberg News

Mar 22, 2022
(Bloomberg) -- With major advances in missile technology, naval forces and intelligence, China is well on its way to becoming by mid-century what President Xi Jinping calls a “world-class” military power. Even now, China has matched or exceeded the U.S. and Russia in some respects.

While the Pentagon struggles with a massive military industrial complex that makes the most expensive weapons in history, China has been exceptionally utilitarian. America buys weapons like Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter, which came in tens of billions of dollars over-budget, years late and riddled with defects. Beijing buys weapons that are much cheaper—including missiles that can sink America’s vaunted aircraft carriers—while developing next-level arms like hypersonic missiles.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

it used to be PLA ground forces were the most powerful. I'm not so sure anymore. Defensively I'd say PLA ground forces are still strong but I wouldn't trust a Type 99 to 100% destroy say a T-90, M1A1 or K-2. PLA ground forces also lack helicopters and don't have enough self propelled artillery. China simply hasn't been upgrading the ground forces and ground strike capabilities compared to other areas.

Ironically PLAN, which used to be the weakest among the 3 main conventional branches, is now overwhelmingly strong. Tons of money are being poured into the PLAN and it shows.

 

[mazeto]

It was only few months back I suggested China up its nukes to 10k , both to cover the NATO + US militaries as well as to keep the fight conventional . It didn't take long for them to do so against Russia.. and it's only the nukes that deterred the Western forces from direct attack.
Against China, a country with a different race and religion, with a higher IQ to boot, they will pile-on together much more viciously.

 

[Viet]

It was only few months back I suggested China up its nukes to 10k , both to cover the NATO + US militaries as well as to keep the fight conventional . It didn't take long for them to do so against Russia.. and it's only the nukes that deterred the Western forces from direct attack.
Against China, a country with a different race and religion, with a higher IQ to boot, they will pile-on together much more viciously.

Why should anyone attack China? Or Russia? Such thing can happen in comic manga but not in reality.
The possibility of China or Russia attack on neighbors are multiple folds higher. I am concerned the chinese copy Vladimir Putin and do the same in Far East.
France and UK have 300 nukes that’s enough, more is overkill. Should Vietnam go nuclear we would posses the same number.

 

[etylo]

Why should anyone attack China? Or Russia? Such thing can happen in comic manga but not in reality.
The possibility of China or Russia attack on neighbors are multiple folds higher.
France and UK have 300 nukes that’s enough, more is overkill. Should Vietnam go nuclear we would posses the same number.

You can have delusions of possessing 300 nukes.

 

[mazeto]

Why should anyone attack China? Or Russia? Such thing can happen in comic manga but not in reality.
The possibility of China or Russia attack on neighbors are multiple folds higher. I am concerned the chinese copy Vladimir Putin and do the same in Far East.
France and UK have 300 nukes that’s enough, more is overkill. Should Vietnam go nuclear we would posses the same number.

You are so much up the @$$ of Westerners you mistake the $hit there for delicacies.
Ever reflected why Vietnam ( and Japan) are two oriental nations without a single friend? Your attitude is a good clue..

 

[Viet]

You are so much up the @$$ of Westerners you mistake the $hit there for delicacies.
Ever reflected why Vietnam ( and Japan) are two oriental nations without a single friend? Your attitude is a good clue..

What you mean with no friends?

Viet restos and nails salons are everywhere here in Germany.

 

[lcloo]

it used to be PLA ground forces were the most powerful. I'm not so sure anymore. Defensively I'd say PLA ground forces are still strong but I wouldn't trust a Type 99 to 100% destroy say a T-90, M1A1 or K-2. PLA ground forces also lack helicopters and don't have enough self propelled artillery. China simply hasn't been upgrading the ground forces and ground strike capabilities compared to other areas.

Ironically PLAN, which used to be the weakest among the 3 main conventional branches, is now overwhelmingly strong. Tons of money are being poured into the PLAN and it shows.

Relax, ground war within China is less likely to happen. It is either air engagement or naval engagement if ever there is a fire fight with invading enemy.

Air superiority and sea control are the deterrence against ground war. Once you lost air superiority and sea control, the outcome of the war is very much predictable.

On the other hand if PLA goes into Taiwan, lots and lots of recon and attacking drones and long range precision guided weapons should be the prime mover. Tanks and IFV should be used for mopping up operation against isolated pockets of resistance.

Air superiority and sea control will aso ensure protection of PLA ground forces on the island.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

Relax, ground war within China is less likely to happen. It is either air engagement or naval engagement if ever there is a fire fight with invading enemy.

Air superiority and sea control are the deterrence against ground war. Once you lost air superiority and sea control, the outcome of the war is very much predictable.

On the other hand if PLA goes into Taiwan, lots and lots of recon and attacking drones and long range precision guided weapons should be the prime mover. Tanks and IFV should be used for mopping up operation against isolated pockets of resistance.

Air superiority and sea control will aso ensure protection of PLA ground forces on the island.

The biggest possibilities of a ground war are vs. India, South Korea and Vietnam. A naval win against any of these is nice but not decisive. A ground loss on the other hand would be devastating.

 

[xuxu1457]

In the past, too little was invested in the military, but now it is only to make up for the previous debt for military
For a long time, the proportion of China's military expenditure in GDP has been far less than that of other countries in the world,
even less than one percent in the five years from 1993 to 1997, which were 0.88%, 0.91%, 0.89%, 0.91% and 0.97% respectively.
Less than 1.2% in 20 of the last 22 years.

 

[casual]

The biggest possibilities of a ground war are vs. India, South Korea and Vietnam. A naval win against any of these is nice but not decisive. A ground loss on the other hand would be devastating.

It's about combined arms. The army will depend heavily on air force nowadays. The largest threat to China by far is from the US. That's exclusively an air and navy war. Got to keep focused on that.

In the past, too little was invested in the military, but now it is only to make up for the previous debt for military
For a long time, the proportion of China's military expenditure in GDP has been far less than that of other countries in the world,
even less than one percent in the five years from 1993 to 1997, which were 0.88%, 0.91%, 0.89%, 0.91% and 0.97% respectively.
Less than 1.2% in 20 of the last 22 years.
View attachment 827094

I heard weapon R&D is not included in chinese defense budget? If so then it makes sense why the numbers are low.

 

[Menthol]

China’s Military Is Growing—Fast
Michael Byhoff, Bloomberg News

Mar 22, 2022
(Bloomberg) -- With major advances in missile technology, naval forces and intelligence, China is well on its way to becoming by mid-century what President Xi Jinping calls a “world-class” military power. Even now, China has matched or exceeded the U.S. and Russia in some respects.

While the Pentagon struggles with a massive military industrial complex that makes the most expensive weapons in history, China has been exceptionally utilitarian. America buys weapons like Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter, which came in tens of billions of dollars over-budget, years late and riddled with defects. Beijing buys weapons that are much cheaper—including missiles that can sink America’s vaunted aircraft carriers—while developing next-level arms like hypersonic missiles.

China is the next Russia.

Maybe with the fancy specs, but they don't know how to use it properly in war.

USA military in Iraq invasion is eye-opening, not even a single tank is destroyed.

I don't think China even match half of what the USA had done.

 

[beijingwalker]

China is the next Russia.

Maybe with the fancy specs, but they don't know how to use it properly in war.

USA military in Iraq invasion is eye-opening, not even a single tank is destroyed.

I don't think China even match half of what the USA had done.

Afghan war was a recent eye opener.

 

[dy1022]

China is the next Russia.

Maybe with the fancy specs, but they don't know how to use it properly in war.

USA military in Iraq invasion is eye-opening, not even a single tank is destroyed.

I don't think China even match half of what the USA had done.

what aboutCovid-19 war?

 

[Viet]

It's about combined arms. The army will depend heavily on air force nowadays. The largest threat to China by far is from the US. That's exclusively an air and navy war. Got to keep focused on that.


I heard weapon R&D is not included in chinese defense budget? If so then it makes sense why the numbers are low.

Artificial low because lots of expenditures are not included in official military books

- R&D
- political, military propaganda
- military space program
- nuclear weapons program
- militarization of artificial islands