Report: Is China's military really ready for war?

Report: Is China's military really ready for war?

Seoul, South Korea-according to a controversial report of a US thinking factory, China is not ready for war. The main motivation for the extensive military modernization course of the prevailing communist party is to preserve their power and not to fight a foreign enemy.

Military modernization of China under XI Jinping

Beijing has carried out a considerable military building and expansion under the leadership of XI Jinping. The People's Liberation Army (PLA), which was not one of the strongest armed forces in Asia, has started to compete with the US forces in some categories or even surpass them, as analysts appreciate.

challenges of the PLA in an emergency

Simulations of US defense experts have repeatedly shown that the United States-far from the strongest armed forces in the world-could have difficulty defeating the PLA in a battle near the Chinese coasts, especially with regard to the Democratic Island of Taiwan, which is claimed by Beijing.

political considerations hinder military willingness

A document of the Rands, based in Washington, says that the political considerations - in particular the wish of the Communist Party, could affect the political consideration of both military personnel and the Chinese society - the PLA in combat, especially against an equivalent opponent such as the USA. In the report, Timothy Heath, a long-time China expert at the edge, said that “the PLA is basically focusing on maintaining the rule of the China's Communist Party (CCP) instead of preparing for the war.”

The influence of political loyalty on the military strategy

Heath pointed out that the PLA spends up to 40% of the training time with political issues, which raises the questions of how well the troops are prepared for modern warfare. In addition, PLA units are not only managed by commanders, but also by political commissioners, whose focus is on party loyalty and not on the ability to fight.

The perspective on the war between the USA and China

The possibility of a conventional war between the United States and China is "a distant option," he added, and Pentagon planners should concentrate on a variety of threats from China that go beyond rockets and bombs. Other experts, on the other hand, doubt his conclusions and emphasize that XI has clearly defined his top military goal: to bring Taiwan under Beijing, if necessary also by force.

rapid military progress in China

china has made quick and undeniable progress in the military a decade ago. The intensive shipbuilding program of recent years has produced the largest marine in the world, which can continue to operate from the Chinese coasts, including the first overseas marin base in Djibouti.

Questions about the effectiveness of the new arsenal

Heath questioned whether Beijing's new arsenal would be effective in the war. "History has repeatedly shown that military people sometimes fail to effectively use their advanced armor in the fight," says his report. Critics of his analysis reject the same weaknesses in the PLA.

The human factor in the military

The PLA has made great progress in both the number and the quality of the weapons that it can use. However, experts warn that the structure of state -of -the -art warships is not the same as their occupation. It is a challenge to train young soldiers who can master complex tasks on board modern ordnance.

evaluation of the military operational readiness of China

When analysts talk about the military operational readiness of China, the focus quickly focuses on on Taiwan. US intelligence agencies estimate that XI wants to have the PLA will be willing to invad the island if necessary. However, Heath argues that although the Chinese leader has set this goal, there is no consistent approach to prepare the Chinese public for an emergency.

final thoughts on military moderation

The modernization of the Chinese military does not aim to conquer Taiwan militarily, but rather to support the PLA more effectively in its long-term mission to maintain CCP rule. New warships and camouflage hunters impress the public and thus make it easier to control the company, according to Heath.