China aims for military might Options

[sinraptor]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/...tary-might.html

By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent
Last Updated: 1:20PM BST 28 Sep 2008
China is rapidly developing a highly modern military
China isdeveloping a modern military, second only to America Photo: REUTERS

Senior defence analysts said that within the next decade the country will have an army that will be second only to America's military might which could "embolden" it to military action.

The rapid growth of China's navy is matched by its desire to expand into the Indian Ocean and South China Sea to feed resources into its voracious economy.

The analysts, from Jane's Information Group, believe that the Chinese Communist Party can only continue to rule the country if it maintains economic growth at more than 10 per cent. It is already investing heavily in Africa for food and natural resources but this could lead to conflict with India with the trade route that crosses the Indian Ocean.

Within the next year the first navy pilots will begin training for aircraft carrier operations that are expected to be operational early in the next decade.

A London conference attended by defence business leaders was told that new air-to-air refuelling planes are being delivered that will double the range of the Chinese air force's increasingly modernised fighters.

The army has been substantially slimmed down into a leaner fighting force with new tanks and armoured vehicles coming off the production line.

"China is developing a modern highly manoeuvrable force able to operate anywhere as good if not better than Western armies," said Christopher Foss, editor of Jane's Armour and Artillery.

In the last 10 years China had made "dramatic progress, make no doubt about that," he warned.

But it is China's growing naval might that poses the greatest threat. By 2015 it is expected to have six Jin-class submarines capable of firing the JL2 ballistic nuclear missile that could threaten both the western and eastern American seaboards acting as deterrent to any US intervention if Taiwan or other areas erupted in conflict.

China's nuclear attack submarine force is expanding "quite considerably" with six T93 hunter killers and more than a dozen Kilo class boats.

Fast attack craft, each carrying eight anti-ship missiles, are to increase from 40 to 100 giving the navy "a considerable capability", the conference heard.

Christian Le Miere, editor of Jane's Intelligence Review, said China would fear America less if it had the threat of nuclear weapons off US waters with a "very capable military to back up diplomatic moves".

"People will keep an eye on China but there is no reason to think that conflict is inevitable," he said.

He added that the "greatest threat of violence" would come when China's military was fully revamped by 2020 and when it was "emboldened by military growth".

While there has been a "step change in capabilities" the Chinese navy is a considerable distance from US Navy which spends ten time China's budget building twice the number of vessels.

China, with an estimated defence budget of £35 billion, is currently on one of three countries developing a "fifth generation" advanced fighter called the J-XX that could be on a par with American planes although the project is highly secret.

Increasingly technology from European countries is being seen in Chinese equipment, the conference heard.

A major programme is in place to build 6,000 armoured vehicles at a cost of £7 billion that will include a "very advanced armoured package" of T99 tanks and the eight-wheeled VN1 armed with a 100mm gun, 30mm canon and 7.62mm machine gun.

As one of the "most significant vehicles" on the battlefield for the People's Liberation Army the 2,500 VN1 will be air transportable.

In recent years China has spent considerable sums on improving capability, new landing craft and special harbours. There had been a major build up of assault ships including 30 large tank landing craft that would allow long range operations.

[kennyboy]

yeah, that's what I was thinking, perhaps in the next 10 years, the Chinese armed forces are going to get a lot of stronger and more powerful. The Chinese military budget is getting increases each year as well, and by 2020 if China keeps increasing its military budget each year, let's say 10-15%, its budget by 2020 should be around $200-$300 billion per year. I did the calculations, that's a lot of money compared to everyone else including Japan, Russia, United Kingdom, other modern European countries, with the sole exception, the U.S. spends about $500-$600 billion, even thought I doubt the U.S. can continue this, they could go bankrupt.

there have been many chinese military advances, a lot, technical, production, research and development. people can research themselves to find out what kind of advances the chinese have and no longer low tech crappy 60s soviet equipment and will never be able to produce high technology military. yeah right.

without talking about military stuff and
just judging from chinese mentality and the government mentality, it's all about face and looking strong, powerful, and important. it really means a lot of the chinese to be a very big powerful country and world importance in the world. heck, even my mother feels the same way. why be unimportant and feel weak, when you can work hard and be very powerful, important and strong. after the opium wars, world world 2 and humiliations, i think chinese are thinking, "screw this weak mentality and not being strong." and desire to be powerful.
chinese are obsessed with symbolic power, and a military/space is associated with it.

example given, chinese manned space program, spacewalk, economic growth, etc.........

after 96 strait when united states sent carriers, china was embarassed. chinese don't want that to happen again. if china is going to go to war with anybody, they want to really beat the crap out of the enemy if possible, or at least put a respectable fight and still look good and save face. why go to war and get your a$$ kicked?

i have a strong feeling that those government officials, chinese generals and commanders and those in charge of the military and research and development as that kind of thinking. i think it is possible that china will have the second most powerful military in the not so distant future.

This post has been edited by kennyboy: Sep 28 2008, 10:49 PM

[Suijen]

It's all about deterrence.

[mkfk1]

The success of the Chinese PLA highly depends on the next 2 decades in which countries such as the US and EU are to be kept distracted with others affaris.

I think the middle east crisis and economic crisis in the US is very important for the CCP, since those issues will certanily blogged down the US and the western nations from ever interferring with CHINA.



This post has been edited by mkfk1: Sep 29 2008, 02:26 AM

[retaxis]

we need to work harder on our navy and airforce and in time increase the nuclear arsenal. keep working on ICBM technology.

[xuanzang]

Americans became strong while the European powers were fighting each other, now Amercans are fighting muslims, russians, and a bunch of others, the timing of China's rise couldn't be more perfect. Never mind Europeans, they are too devided, their new members are more loyal to Washington than to Brussel, their enegy supply is controled by russians, their economy depends on chinese made products, they are not going to do anything dramatic this centry.

[mobi3232]

without talking about military stuff and
just judging from chinese mentality and the government mentality, it's all about face and looking strong, powerful, and important. it really means a lot of the chinese to be a very big powerful country and world importance in the world. heck, even my mother feels the same way. why be unimportant and feel weak, when you can work hard and be very powerful, important and strong. after the opium wars, world world 2 and humiliations, i think chinese are thinking, "screw this weak mentality and not being strong." and desire to be powerful.
chinese are obsessed with symbolic power, and a military/space is associated with it.

yes, Chinese citizens will personally donate to fund the building of a carrier group. But acquiring the technology and training to man a battle group takes time.

The response capabilities to the earthquake this year has shown the PLA is still not up to task in a lot of areas in terms of modernization. Having to divert its best response units from the coastal regions, things like asking other nations for satellite help and the pilot who crashed his plane being unfound for days still harken back to the times when Japanese had more detailed maps of China than Chinese themselves.

With the entire northern borders settled between Russia and China and so much mountainous regions forming China's south, China is effectively secured except for its coastline. Trouble has always been coming from the coastline especially in more recent times which is why a strong navy is a must for effective deterrence.

[Bulldogg]

With the entire northern borders settled between Russia and China and so much mountainous regions forming China's south, China is effectively secured except for its coastline. Trouble has always been coming from the coastline especially in more recent times which is why a strong navy is a must for effective deterrence.

There shouldn't be a problem with that aspect, national security and a boost in military defense will happen, but otherwise China are not engageing in any other military acrions around the world right now. there's no reason why she can't keep bulking up.

This post has been edited by Bulldogg: Sep 30 2008, 01:42 PM

[sinraptor]

China's defence budget is appropiate. If you look at the the spending of the other top five rich countries, they are spending as much on their military as China

[Henry123]

... their economy depends on chinese made products, they are not going to do anything dramatic this centry.

They are already looking at India as a main trading partner.

This post has been edited by Henry123: Sep 30 2008, 06:51 PM

[iyahcure]

that's a waste of money,when dey could invest in something more worth while than military might.

[sinraptor]

that's a waste of money,when dey could invest in something more worth while than military might.

it's not just about showing off, China is surrounded by hostile neighbors and needs the resources to insure her territorial integrity. Traditionally, China did not invest a lot of resources into developing the military and the result was the near colonization of China. It was a hard lessen but at least the Chinese will learn to be on gaurd in the future

[InitialDJay]

national security is important for every nations, so i don't see why other nations should worry about china military spending.

by 2020, China or USA might have already develop anti-matter weapons. but the key is can we even live past 2012?

[WoDeKingdom]

Due to the advancement of extremly long range/high speed/stealth anti-ship missiles, air carrier is only useful against weak countries, but against weak countries you don have to build a $hitload of costly CVs to beat them.

So even if China plan to develop a stronger navy, she shouldnt follow the U.S navy model and waste huge amount of money on some huge piece of easy target.

WW2 marked the end of warships, I am sure WW3, if ever happened in the near future, will mark the end of air carriers.

[LiZhuoShi]

China didnt even need this so called "military might" to repel the US from Vietnam and North Korea, I hope China not try to simulate the US who stuffs her arsenal with idiot-proof equipments and induces the soldiers to think they're too good to die.

With the things we already have we can give them more than hell.

[sinraptor]

Due to the advancement of extremly long range/high speed/stealth anti-ship missiles, air carrier is only useful against weak countries, but against weak countries you don have to build a $hitload of costly CVs to beat them.

So even if China plan to develop a stronger navy, she shouldnt follow the U.S navy model and waste huge amount of money on some huge piece of easy target.

WW2 marked the end of warships, I am sure WW3, if ever happened in the near future, will mark the end of air carriers.

Aircaft carrier are essential to provide mobile airpower. since china does not have airbases overseas, China cannot send its airpower, which is essential for victory, to protect overseas assets. If China ever have to due an assault on volatile areas such as the malacca starits which the PLAAF has no reach of, naval airpower will be real handy/

[Bulldogg]

that's a waste of money,when dey could invest in something more worth while than military might.

For the sake of an argument.
Like what?...
An Opium market?

[BigBenChow]

that's a waste of money,when dey could invest in something more worth while than military might.

A strong Navy is key for China to protect its trade routes and shipping lanes. China needs a stable supply of oil and raw materials to grow.