The Chinese Military Exceeds Technological Superiority in the World: Strengths and Adversities

Department of Security and Military Research, Department of Strategic Studies and International Relations

Tunis, 03-06-2024

Introduction

 The Chinese military, also known as People’s Liberation Army (PLA), is the largest military force in the world in terms of numbers and one of the fastest-growing in terms of armament and modernization programs. It has undergone numerous reforms in recent decades, including downsizing, strengthening equipments, and military technological advancements.

Establishment

The People’s Liberation Army was founded in 1927. In terms of leadership, the affairs of the Chinese military are overseen by the Central Military Commission, chaired by the country’s president, Xi Jinping, and his deputies. General Fan Changlong, also, the leadership includes Defense Minister General Chang Wanquan and Chief of the Joint Staff General Fang Fenghui.

Military Units

 According to the “Global Firepower” defense website, the Chinese military has approximately 2.3 million soldiers, with a reserve force of 510,000. China’s defense budget in 2015 was approximately $146 billion, the second-largest defense budget in the world, representing 1.9% of the country’s gross domestic product.

The Chinese military consists of five main units:

The ground forces, the naval forces, the air forces, the rocket force, and the strategic support force.

The Chinese military is one of the fastest-growing in the world, witnessing modernization efforts and equipped with modern weapons in recent decades, fueled by consecutive increases in military spending.

Ground Forces:

China possesses the largest ground forces in the world, with approximately 1.6 million soldiers, representing 60% of the military’s total strength. During crises, the ground forces are reinforced by backup units and semi-military forces totaling 510,000 personnel.

Naval forces :

By the end of the 1990s, the navy was subordinate to the ground forces. However, after implementing reforms to modernize the military, the naval forces separated. It currently has around 255,000 personnel and consists of three fleets: the North Sea Fleet, the East Sea Fleet, and the South Sea Fleet, each comprising naval, air, coastal defense, and infantry units.

Air Forces:

The Air Force has approximately 398,000 personnel divided into five commands and 24 divisions. The largest operational unit in the Air Force is the Air Corps, each consisting of twenty to thirty-six aircrafts.

Rocket Force:

It is the most important unit of China’s strategic missiles, controlling both nuclear and conventional missiles. The size of the nuclear missile arsenal is estimated to be from one hundred to four hundred warheads, with one hundred thousand soldiers working in the Rocket Force, distributed among six independently operating divisions.

Strategic Support Force:

Established in December 2015, it is one of the initial outcomes of the military reforms implemented by the Chinese leadership. Official details about the mission of this force have not been provided, but an official from the Chinese Ministry of Defense stated that it consists of a mixture of support units. Reports also indicate that it includes operations forces using advanced technology such as electronic warfare and space warfare.

Military Capabilities:

China’s naval fleet ranks first globally with 777 naval units, including three aircraft carriers, forty-one destroyers, forty-nine frigates, seventy nine submarines, and one hundred fifty-two patrol ships. According to data from the ground forces, China possesses 5,250 tanks, 35,000 armored vehicles, 4,120 self-propelled artillery, 1,734 rocket launchers, and 3,160 missile platforms. The Air Force ranks third globally with 3,285 aircrafts, including 120 fighters, 371 attack aircraft, 912 helicopters, and 281 attack helicopters, in addition to other military hardware.

China also possesses 350 nuclear warheads, including 204 long-range missiles to launch from ground platforms and forty-eight launched from submarines, as well as twenty gravity bombs dropped from aircraft, along with thousands of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army continues to upgrade its forces in an effort to surpass American technological superiority. According to the Pentagon, last year it launched a hypersonic glider capable of circumnavigating the Earth at speeds exceeding 6,000 km/h, a weapon seemingly not possessed by Washington. The annual budget for the Chinese military is estimated at around $230 billion, according to Global Firepower.

Maneuvers and Training:

Currently, military maneuvers are being conducted by Beijing in Taiwan, where it possesses military capabilities that enable it to control the entire maritime and aerial space around Taiwan throughout the duration of the maneuvres.

China also seeks to interconnect its defense interests with multiple countries worldwide through a common Chinese military cooperation framework based on training, joint drills, and experience exchange.

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, China has purchased many advanced military systems from Russia as a starting point for integrating military cooperation between the eastern camp, especially naval destroyers, Su-30 aircraft, and diesel-electric submarines. China has also begun designing its own military aircraft, such as the “Chengdu Fighter.”

Conclusion:

China represents the greatest military threat to Washington. Therefore, the United States always seeks to implement its expansionist-military plans worldwide by promoting the theory of the Chinese threat. It also tries to portray China as a current and future challenge to its naval power, which is part of its strategy to impose naval dominance worldwide. This has enabled China to achieve technological leadership, surpassing its American competitor, as China escalates its ambition to replace America as a superior power, causing increasing concern in Washington over its displacement.