# How powerful is the Chinese Military? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 19, 2020, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203 "2020-02-19T23:52:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203/163 "2023-02-05T14:14:27Z")
And vice versa. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203/164 "2023-02-09T05:50:04Z")
While China is working on getting stronger, others are also building up forces. The mood in Japan is getting more assertive concering China and have ordered longer range missiles from the US as well as are in negotiations for allow the US to deploy missiles on US bases in Japan. > [@](#): > > Having approved a $320 billion package for the largest military build-up since World War Two (WWII) to rival its “greatest strategic challenge ever” China, Japan on Saturday announced that it is considering the deployment of US medium-range missiles on its territory if Biden administration comes on the table for official negotiations. Deployment would include Long Range Hypersonic Weapons (LRHW) and Tomahawk cruise missiles. “Such places as the island of Kyushu and others are possible [for deployment],” sources familiar with the development told agencies, adding that it is yet unclear if the missiles will be placed on US military vessels stationed in the Indo-Pacific region. > > apan’s Ministry of Defense has also unveiled plans of developing long-range multipurpose _‘Three-in-One’_ missiles that can travel up to 3,000 kilometers (1,860 miles). The Japanese military plans to deploy these ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles between 2027 and 2037 to bolster its ‘counterstrike’ capabilities, Kyodo news reported. The hypersonic missiles to be deployed by around 2035 can reach North Korean territory and parts of China. The ‘multipurpose’ missiles are being deployed under Japan’s new N_ational Security and Defense Strategies_ that view North Korea as a “graver, more imminent threat than before,” Russia as a “serious security concern" and Beijing as a “greatest strategic regional challenge." And the US has gotten [more access](https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/us-philippines-agree-on-access-to-more-military-bases-1.1878199) in the Philippines. > [@](#): > > (Bloomberg) – The US secured access to more Philippine military bases, clearing the way for a greater American presence in the Asia-Pacific region as tensions with China over Taiwan and the South China Sea persist. > > The announcement Thursday of a plan to designate four new locations in “strategic areas” where the US will have expanded access didn’t mention China. Instead, it said the new sites — to be identified later — “will allow more rapid support for humanitarian and climate-related disasters in the Philippines, and respond to other shared challenges.” > > But a key shared challenge the two allies have is China, given Beijing’s increasingly assertive claims to a wide swath of the South China Sea, including islands and reefs Manila sees as its own. Chinese ships have regularly been seen trailing Philippine fishing vessels, often intercepting them and forcing them to divert from contested areas long seen as within the country’s exclusive economic zone, or EEZ. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203/165 "2023-02-09T18:57:49Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > … if Biden administration comes on the table for official negotiations… Ewwwwww. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2023, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203/166 "2023-03-05T03:44:56Z")
Wouldn’t that release the pressure (of negotiations) something fierce? ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2023, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203/167 "2023-03-05T19:10:11Z")
I read an interesting article about the demographic collapse in China - two generations of one-child families, followed by economic growth sufficient that the middle class - like the West - can’t really afford many children. Plus, the development is that more and more workforce will be diverted to caring for an elderly population. It occurs to me at what point will the Chinese population start to worry that their precious only child/grandchild will become canon fodder to feed the PRC’s ambitions? Especially, family is far more important in China than here, and those single children are expected to look after their parents. On the plus(??) side, a disastrous war will help equalize the imbalance in their sex ratios. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203/168 "2023-03-06T00:27:41Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > > [@TokyoBayer](#): > > > > … if Biden administration comes on the table for official negotiations… > > Ewwwwww. > [@Toxylon](#): > > Wouldn’t that release the pressure (of negotiations) something fierce? So… meet for negotiations in Thailand? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203/169 "2023-03-06T04:49:17Z")
:: through gritted teeth :: Must… not make… Bangkok… joke…. ---
**Author:** ![fordgt100](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fordgt100](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fordgt100)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203/170 "2023-03-06T04:57:04Z")
Regarding Chinese military’s strength, there is only one way to find out : \>( ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203/171 "2023-03-06T05:08:40Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > On the plus(??) side, a disastrous war will help equalize the imbalance in their sex ratios. Not much. There are 34 million more men than women in China. Even the bloodiest war over Taiwan, for instance, isn’t likely to result in any more than a million Chinese male casualties. ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203/172 "2023-03-06T05:13:31Z")
In the Ukraine thread it was mentioned that due to the war and the number of men who are leaving the country to avoid conscription, there are more women than men in the Russian population. It sound like the problems could be made to cancel out. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203/173 "2023-03-06T17:26:00Z")
As I understood, excessive social problems - alcoholism, heart attacks, etc. - tended to strike men more than women, so the Russian imbalance was always there; just not as pronounced. By comparison, the Russian population of men 20-30 is approximately 8M so 80,000 is 1%. If they’ve actually lost up to 150,000 that’s 2% of the generation needed to provide replacement children (already below replacement level). Plus the ones heading for the exit are likely among the best and brightest with much of a future ahead of them, adding to the problem. Supposedly about half a million or more have fled. Interesting site: > **[Population Pyramids of the World from 1950 to 2100](https://www.populationpyramid.net/russian-federation/2023/)** > > Russian Federation - 2023 By comparison: > **[Population Pyramids of the World from 1950 to 2100](https://www.populationpyramid.net/china/2023/)** > > China - 2023 ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203/174 "2023-03-06T18:52:57Z")
Somewhat off topic but I remember this reporting from when I was young: > **[China's Birth Control Policy Drives Some to Kill Baby Girls](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1985/01/08/chinas-birth-control-policy-drives-some-to-kill-baby-girls/77bf59d0-b0c0-4261-a1e5-51ea6a3b8939/)** The Chinese population pyramid would seem to say that the story was untrue or a sensationalized account of a few non-representative occurrences. So, to get on-topic, I’ll just note that it’s good to be a bit skeptical of all reporting - pro and con of anything - where it’s hard to get reliable data. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203/175 "2023-03-06T20:36:57Z")
Not exactly - note the pyramid - until you get to age 50, there’s a substantive difference between the male and female population in each age group. 3.2 vs 2.8, or 4.1 vs 3.7 - that doesn’t sound like much until you realize that means there are for example in an age group 32 boys for very 28 girls, or 41 boys for every 37 girls. Considering that typically birth rates are about 51% female, that’s a consistent “statistical anomaly”. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203/176 "2023-03-06T21:56:03Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > Considering that typically birth rates are about 51% female, that’s a consistent “statistical anomaly”. In China? Because globally, it’s more like 51% males at birth. ETA: Found a link. China is about 58% male. [How does the sex ratio at birth vary across the world? - Our World in Data](https://ourworldindata.org/sex-ratio-at-birth) ---
**Author:** ![fordgt100](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fordgt100](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fordgt100)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203/177 "2023-03-06T23:28:36Z")
I understand they are more powerful than a locomotive. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203/178 "2023-03-07T02:50:43Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > In China? Because globally, it’s more like 51% males at birth. Oops sorry, got it backward. But males are more susceptible to diseasea and other lifestyle issues, so the number of females tends to exceed males as the cohorts age… ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2023, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203/179 "2023-06-05T17:26:30Z")
Quite interesting to me: > **[These may be the world's best warships. And they're not American | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/02/asia/japan-south-korea-naval-shipbuilding-intl-hnk-ml-dst/index.html)** > > It’s a growing problem that has United States naval commanders scratching their heads: How to keep up with China’s ever-expanding fleet of warships. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2025, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203/180 "2025-11-07T14:12:24Z")
And also see: > **[China’s latest aircraft carrier enters fleet as naval competition with the US...](https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/07/china/china-fujian-aircraft-carrier-xi-jinping-intl-hnk)** > > China’s latest and most capable aircraft carrier has officially entered service, a significant step forward for Beijing as it seeks to catch up with the United States on naval supremacy. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2025, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203/181 "2025-11-07T17:06:50Z")
They’ve got a carrier, but do they know how to actually DO carrier air operations? I suspect that the training, doctrine, and execution of that is going to be a weak point for a long time, especially when compared to the US Navy, who’s been doing that sort of thing for more than a century. The thing this thread seems to ignore is that wars aren’t won by technology; they’re won by people and how they use that technology. And stuff like training and doctrine are really important, and it’s a place where the USN has a distinct advantage over the PLAN. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2025, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203/182 "2025-11-07T17:11:35Z")
> [@bump](#): > > They’ve got a carrier, but do they know how to actually DO carrier air operations? I suspect that the training, doctrine, and execution of that is going to be a weak point for a long time, especially when compared to the US Navy, who’s been doing that sort of thing for more than a century. They are working diligently at that. To be sure, a carrier is a complex thing to operate and it will take time to master but likely a few years and not a few decades. How to tactically and strategically deploy them with a carrier-group will take some time too but again, probably a few years. China is working to be a global superpower. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-powerful-is-the-chinese-military/848203.md?page=10)