This Diplomat article says no big surprises, but a China that fields aircraft carriers, trident-class submarines and ICBMs that can or already threaten the US mainland can challenge US efforts to intervene on Taiwan's behalf, and do far more than just "local" operations such as pushing US troops out of North Korea. They are flexing territory claims against Vietnam and the Phillipines. The recent Economist piece on the China military was much more detailed. China lags far behind the US, but the US is slacking, and China could pull ahead in 50 years or sooner and end up as Japan found itself able to challenge US power at the start of WWII.
No Surprises on China Military
continued: http://the-diplomat.com/flashpoints-blog/2012/05/20/no-surprises-on-china-military/
No Surprises on China Military
By Harry Kazianis
This week, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) released its annual report concerning China’s military. The report, Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China, highlights many of the main components of China’s military modernization and expansion, including technological achievements, areas of cooperation with the United States, force structure, and long term trends.
The report says China “is pursuing a long-term, comprehensive military modernization program designed to improve the capacity of China’s armed forces to fight and win ‘local wars under conditions of informatization,’ or high-intensity, information-centric regional military operations of short duration.” The text also interestingly notes that “(T)he character used for ‘local war’ can also be translated as ‘regional war.’ There is a debate over which translation is more accurate.”
The report says China “is pursuing a long-term, comprehensive military modernization program designed to improve the capacity of China’s armed forces to fight and win ‘local wars under conditions of informatization,’ or high-intensity, information-centric regional military operations of short duration.” The text also interestingly notes that “(T)he character used for ‘local war’ can also be translated as ‘regional war.’ There is a debate over which translation is more accurate.”
continued: http://the-diplomat.com/flashpoints-blog/2012/05/20/no-surprises-on-china-military/
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