Is China’s military strength overstated?
http://www.peopleforum.cn/viewthread.php?tid=6223&extra=page%3D1
China’s military strength ranks second in the world in terms of expenditure, the number of troops and weaponry, according to a report released Thursday by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).
The data provokes many questions from scholars and the public, though the government think tank emphasized the ranking was just based on selected factors and is not a comparison of real military power of the concerned countries.
The US, Japan and Germany rank as the top three in terms of comprehensive national strength and China is in seventh place, according to the Report on Comprehensive National Power Assessment, which evaluated the militaries of 11 countries, including seven Western countries and Brazil, Russia, India and China, the so-called BRICs.
The evaluation index includes five direct constituent elements – territory and natural resources, population, economy, military and science and technology – and four influencing factors – social development, sustainability, security and domestic politics and international contributions, it said.
To the surprise of many, China’s military power ranks second, with a total score of 33.3, behind the US, which scores 90.08, and just ahead of Russia, with 31.08.
"The high rank of China is mainly because it gets a higher score in terms of troop numbers and equipment," the report said. (Global Times)
A nation’s ‘firepower’ should mainly depend on its combat and maneuver abilities, both of which are really wanting for the Chinese troops. Besides, China’s military equipment is also far from having an edge over others.
They are working on their first aircraft carrier. The USA is having problems maintaining its 11 carrier fleet.
They are building ten new ships a year. The USA is retiring 10 ships a year and only building 5. The US Navy is smaller now than it was in 1917 with less than 300 ships. If nothing changes, China will have a bigger navy by 2020, excluding carriers. Many think that the Battleship was the ship of WW ONE, the carrier was the ship of WW TWO and the submarine will be the ship of the next conflict.
They are making advanced fighters and other planes. The USA on the other hand spent billions developing the B2 bomber, only to make 20 and now has only 19. It spent billions developing the F22 and has stopped production at less than 200. And the same kind of cuts are already being talked about for the F35. The USA is close to losing its pure numerical advantage and will soon lose its technological advantage.
China is already challenging the US Navy at sea. It is flying its planes very close to our, causing at least one air to air crash with the result of a top secret spy plane landed on Chinese land, giving them the ability to strip it down and look it over. Their ships are also playing chicken with our ships. They would not be doing that if they did not think they soon will be able to make us back down.
The 20th century was the Century of the USA….it looks like the 21st Century will be the Century of China..
You did not think the USA would stay #1 forever did you?
Thank you for answering your question at length.
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Shouldn’t think so, I suspect most of their weapons have never been seen by the west
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They are building a 36km bridge between HongKong and the mainland. Whoever can do that can make the most advanced weapons without the help of the West
In the UK , we hardly managed to build a wobbly few-meters bridge in London
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They are working on their first aircraft carrier. The USA is having problems maintaining its 11 carrier fleet.
They are building ten new ships a year. The USA is retiring 10 ships a year and only building 5. The US Navy is smaller now than it was in 1917 with less than 300 ships. If nothing changes, China will have a bigger navy by 2020, excluding carriers. Many think that the Battleship was the ship of WW ONE, the carrier was the ship of WW TWO and the submarine will be the ship of the next conflict.
They are making advanced fighters and other planes. The USA on the other hand spent billions developing the B2 bomber, only to make 20 and now has only 19. It spent billions developing the F22 and has stopped production at less than 200. And the same kind of cuts are already being talked about for the F35. The USA is close to losing its pure numerical advantage and will soon lose its technological advantage.
China is already challenging the US Navy at sea. It is flying its planes very close to our, causing at least one air to air crash with the result of a top secret spy plane landed on Chinese land, giving them the ability to strip it down and look it over. Their ships are also playing chicken with our ships. They would not be doing that if they did not think they soon will be able to make us back down.
The 20th century was the Century of the USA….it looks like the 21st Century will be the Century of China..
You did not think the USA would stay #1 forever did you?
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Surely the only measure that matters is a nations ability to suffer attrition to its armed forced.
China has a total population of 1.3 Billion people. which is about 4 times has great as the US. If a conventional war where to happen between the US and china then the americans would have to kill 5 Chinese for each american life lost which in face to face combat might be difficult, The only possible way in which a war of attrition could be won by the americans would be due to its better superior military equipment (stealth bombers, and cruise missile Technologies).
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