China's military is no longer a ragtag organization that just relies on numbers to achieve victory. The vast majority of articles I've been reading give me the impression that they are developing very credible capability to regionally challenge the USA effectively with their A2AD model. This is a country with one of the greatest military traditions and origin of military philosophers, albeit dormant in the past 500 years or so. Even Napoleon said, "Let her sleep, for when she awakens, she will shake the world."

And, they know it. They have watched the West and America, learning everything they can. They have stolen trade, industrial, and military secrets to the extent that it has been labeled the greatest theft of wealth in the history of the world. The amount they are pouring into training, which is one of the biggest advantages of America, is bringing the effectiveness of their military quickly closer to western standards. Everything in their military is modernizing so fast.

 

China, in my opinion, resembles the same profile as Germany in the 1930's. Booming economy, rapid military modernization, and hyper-nationalism that is euphoric and drunk on power waiting to exact revenge for perceived historical wrongs.

 

They are not even close to America's military right now, but look what direction America's military is headed in and where China's is headed. In ten years China could be ready to start taking things by force. Technology is developing so rapidly that America's huge investment in certain technologies, like stealth, could be obsolete by then.

 

I hope to God the reformers gain the upper hand in China.  We will not know their true intentions until the transfer of power is complete.

Almost none of the new leadership are reformers, and now PLA loyalties are divided between Hu and Jiang camps, as well as their own agenda.

 

The world will prop up China's economy the same way it swallows a bitter pill to accept whatever the US does, since the EU is DOA.  So change/collapse will come from within China, and Chinese leaders are already making big moves to distract domestic issues with patriotic campaigns.