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The U.S. Navy and Air Force have never been shy about naming China as the USA’s “near-peer” competitor, which makes it interesting that the U.S. Army is a little more circumspect.
In an excellent analysis that is a tad old but by no means dated, Michael Hendricks at the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College explains the barriers that bar the way for the modernization of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), not least of which are domestic politics and an ongoing battle over doctrine. Hendricks also makes a forceful case for military-to-military ties that we all need to keep in mind as those relationships wax and wane.
Well worth the read for the sober and reflective look at a highly politicized topic.
Related articles
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- No nationalization of military in China: senior PLA officer (redantliberationarmy.wordpress.com)
- China’s Plan to Beat U.S.: Missiles, Missiles and More Missiles (wired.com)
- Chinese Army Targets iPhone, iPads With Propaganda App (wired.com)
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And don’t forget finances, while China and the US both spend similar numbers on home security, China’s military spending is a fraction of that of the US.
Agreed, and an excellent point, Nick.
However, given the lack of transparency in China’s military budgets and the galling wastefulness in US military spending, using expenditures as a means of comparison can oversimplify the balance. What we need are better metrics by which to compare capabilities, evaluate doctrine, and judge all of that against current and foreseeable commitments.
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