Chinese fighting power in the eyes of foreigners

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

China is a country that integrates political and military power, so the Chinese people have never worried about a military coup within the country. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and with the concerted efforts of the entire nation, China has finally developed its national defense despite its weak economic strength. The Chinese people have a legendary tale of "millet and rifles defeating airplanes and cannons," and the myth of "using abacuses to create two bombs and one satellite." In the Western world, the Chinese nation is seen as an irrational nation, yet also as one of the world's most outstanding. But that is in the past, recorded in history books. Faced with the new global military landscape, how will China respond? Faced with the hostility of some rogue nations led by the United States, where will China go from here? The only way out is to develop the economy and strengthen national defense. Faced with current and future military threats, only by developing the economy and further advancing national defense can China become a winner in the world. China possesses formidable military strength and is capable of waging any modern, high-tech war. Its military technology has reached, and may even surpass, world-class levels. As Premier Zhu Rongji stated in 1998 during a speech in the United States regarding the Wen Ho Lee case, "China doesn't need any other country's technology; we only need time and money."

Among Western countries, China is a militarily powerful nation, the fastest-growing economy, and a country with the greatest potential in both military and economy, while also being shrouded in mystery. China's national conditions and the international military landscape it faces determine the characteristics of its military. What are these characteristics that so impress Westerners? They mainly include:

First, China possesses one of the world's most powerful military forces. Currently, China has a regular army of 2.5 million, making it one of the countries with the largest military personnel in the world. The Chinese military is characterized by high quality, high skill, operational agility, rapid response, and strict discipline. Most of my country's high-tech personnel have contributed to the country's national defense to varying degrees. For example, many members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have directly or indirectly participated in my country's national defense construction. One of the most prominent characteristics of the Chinese military, and one that no other country in the world possesses, is its strict discipline. This is one of the questions that Western countries have studied China without finding an answer to, and it remains a mystery that Western people find perplexing and incomprehensible. Without strict discipline, any war will be lost without a fight. China also created the legendary "Blitzkrieg in Vietnam," a feat unimaginable for any large country to accomplish in such a short time. This demonstrates the Chinese military's agility, rapid response, and strict discipline. The Chinese military is one of the countries with the most diverse branches of service in the world. Through comprehensive development of all branches and several large-scale military exercises, the various branches of the Chinese military have achieved seamless coordination, mutual adjustment, support, and assistance, perfectly suited to the needs of modern high-tech warfare. Chinese military personnel also possess strong technical skills and high quality. In various international joint operations and the anti-drug operation in Colombia over the past few years, Chinese soldiers have performed outstandingly. Military leaders from around the world have bestowed the highest honors upon Chinese soldiers, and military strategists from some Western countries have stated that Chinese soldiers are world-class, expressing their admiration and frequently giving a thumbs-up and exclaiming "very good!!!". From a global perspective, China possesses world-class military personnel.

Secondly, China possesses some of the world's most mysterious and sophisticated weaponry. This weaponry is shrouded in mystery. As early as the 1960s, China created the "two bombs and one satellite" miracle, demonstrating how, despite technological backwardness and a lack of funds, China produced the atomic bomb in the shortest possible time, a feat that chilled the world. After acquiring the atomic bomb, the Chinese people truly stood up, spoke with greater confidence, and their words carried significant influence. Looking back at history, how much do people around the world know about China's weaponry? Even among Chinese people, how much do those within the Chinese military truly understand? A senior Pentagon official once said, "We know very little, even pitifully little, about the capabilities of Chinese weapons." All of this is determined by China's economic strength and technological level. For the past 50 years, Chinese weapons have rarely been featured at annual international military exhibitions or in various domestic and international publications. The Chinese government has never flaunted its weaponry or explained its capabilities to the world. Only in necessary circumstances and under special circumstances is a brief introduction to some weapons provided. What outsiders know are primarily the most common and frequently used weapons within China. The exact number of nuclear warheads China currently possesses is unknown to the world, even to the vast majority of its own military personnel. Western conservatives estimate that China currently possesses at least 2,400 nuclear warheads, with some countries even estimating no fewer than 5,000. Even more perplexing is a claim in a Chinese domestic publication that China currently possesses only 16 nuclear warheads. From the perspective of China's defense policy, China's nuclear weapons are intended for active defense. Therefore, the number of nuclear weapons China possesses depends entirely on the international situation it faces. China is known as the "missile kingdom," possessing some of the world's most advanced missiles. In terms of range, error margin, and explosive power, China is the eldest brother in the "missile family." China's intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) have an error margin of 100 meters, while the US ICBMs have an error margin of 250 meters, and Russia's ICBMs have an error margin of 150 meters. Moreover, China possesses missiles of various functions. This gives it a certain advantage in future wars.

Recently, I've seen many US reports assessing the PLA's situation, which generally conclude that the PLA's strength lags far behind the US military, and is even insufficient to confront Taiwan. In fact, these reports mainly focus on the PLA's limited advanced weaponry, with most of its equipment being quite outdated, leading to the conclusion that the PLA is inadequate. Perhaps this is something to be happy about; if this is true, then the Pentagon seems to have failed to recognize China's military development plans. Currently, the PLA's main arsenal consists largely of outdated weapons such as the Type 59 main battle tank, J-6 fighter jet, and Luda-class destroyers, which are indeed insufficient to inspire confidence. However, China also possesses advanced weapons like the J-10, J-11, Type 98 main battle tank, and Luyang-class destroyers, all capable of countering the US military's current equipment. However, their deployment numbers are very small, thus considered insufficient to significantly enhance the PLA's combat effectiveness.

Weapons developed by China after the reform and opening up have generally only been deployed in small numbers; for example, only 200 J-8IIs were deployed, only two Luhu-class destroyers were commissioned, and only one Luhai-class destroyer was commissioned. Yet, the pace of modernization is astonishingly rapid. Shortly after the Type 052D destroyer 168 was launched, and only one more (Type 052D 169) was built, the "Chinese Aegis" Type 052D destroyer 170 entered service. Before the Type 052D and Type 052D destroyers 170 and 171 even entered service, rumors of new ships being built surfaced. What does this indicate? China has a vast territory, and defending such a vast territory requires a large quantity of weaponry. However, consider this: the J-10 can currently rival the F-16, and the J-11 can counter the F-15. If we build 1,000 of each, by the time they are all in service, the US military might already be using F-22s and J-class destroyers. Similarly, if the Type 170 can rival the Burke-class destroyer, can it counter the US's future DD-21? If the Type 98 tank is mass-produced, by the time it is fully deployed, the US military might already be using more advanced FC-class combat systems. Therefore, it would be better to save funds for technological advancements and develop advanced weapons capable of countering the aforementioned US military capabilities before mass-producing them. When assessing a nation's war-fighting capabilities, one cannot only look at its current military strength but also its war potential backed by comprehensive national power. (Note that this doesn't refer to GDP; a large portion of developed countries' GDP comes from the service sector. Taiwan's GDP is higher than Russia's, but can Taiwan try attacking Russia?) Although China lacks the industrial base of the United States, its vast territory, abundant resources, and large population allow it to easily mobilize over 10 million troops in wartime, and more than 200 million people to participate in military production. Tanks, aircraft, and missiles would be continuously sent to the front lines. (Furthermore, China's vast territory means that enemy air raids cannot easily destroy its industrial base.) Can Taiwan and Japan withstand this? To safeguard national unity, the Chinese people will spare no expense, but how much war potential can Washington politicians mobilize in the United States? Therefore, even if China doesn't equip itself with large quantities of advanced weaponry in peacetime, it still has the capability to maintain the peaceful reunification of its motherland.

While Beijing has significantly increased its military spending, it seems its only aim is to narrow the arms gap with the United States. The best way for the PLA to catch up with the US is to simultaneously develop advanced weaponry and improve the combat effectiveness of its outdated equipment. However, one point I believe is clearly self-deception on the part of the US and Japan: completely denying China's numerical superiority in older equipment. Has there ever been a historical example of defeating a numerically superior enemy with a small number of advanced weapons? By that logic, wouldn't Hitler have dominated the skies of Europe long ago with his advanced Me-262 jet fighters? The Japanese army with its Yamato-class battleships should have won long ago, and the German army with its Tiger IIs would have been invincible. While China's J-6s are outdated, they are not necessarily ineffective when swarming towards the enemy. Even if they are sitting ducks, target practice is time-consuming and laborious! Wouldn't this create opportunities for the J-10 and J-11 fighters? Furthermore, the Chinese Air Force frequently conducts combat training between older and newer aircraft to find breakthroughs. But do the US and Japanese air forces conduct training against swarms of old-fashioned aircraft? Do they have the resources to conduct such training? There is no evidence that they possess a large stockpile of old MiG fighters for simulated training. "To feign inability when capable, to feign inactivity when useful" is a principle from Sun Tzu's Art of War. Therefore, isn't it foolish to rely on existing data and information to speculate on China's military strength and equipment, and to infer China's military movements based on Beijing's actions? The Chinese are not a nation that likes to boast. The US might announce a movie as soon as it's conceived, but Chinese movies are often not announced until they are filmed and released. The US DD-21 and FC-168 are still in the conceptual stage but have been made public, while China's J-10 and J-168 have not been officially revealed. This reflects a difference in national mindset. Coupled with the teachings of Sun Tzu's Art of War, we have even more reason to doubt the information we have. While China is "keeping a low profile," it doesn't mean it can't or dares to fight; it simply means Beijing will be particularly cautious about when to take military action.

Finally, regarding the quality of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) personnel, many people use some unsavory aspects of the PLA's daily work and life to analyze and conclude that the PLA is inadequate, asserting that it has lost the heroic spirit of dedication from the Mao Zedong era. But before SARS, who had a good impression of medical personnel? At least in my view, they all seemed only interested in prescribing expensive medicines, yet during SARS, they demonstrated their bravery. While the PLA may have some shortcomings in normal times, they are different in the face of emergencies like war. During the 1984 attack on Laoshan, reform and opening up were underway, and Mao Zedong had long since passed away, but the soldiers were still the most beloved people. In the fight against floods, the soldiers were still just as brave. The heroic spirit of dedication of Chinese soldiers cannot be replicated by advanced American training methods. When the RAND Corporation says that Chinese pilot training is "notoriously poor," shouldn't they consider the vast difference between Chinese pilots who had just started flying 50 years ago and American pilots who had participated in World War II? Of course, I sincerely hope that Japan and the US continue to despise the Chinese military, remaining complacent until they witness the PLA's power on the battlefield.

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