The United States Department of Defense recently released its annual report on China's advances in military power. The document, which has more than 200 pages, shows that dictator Xi Jinping is increasingly committed to making the Asian giant the great military power in Asia and the Pacific.
Officially, the country invested millions of dollars last year in developing technology for land, air and sea operations, as well as nuclear, space and electronic warfare (EW), a value considered underestimated by analysts, given that, due to Chinese capabilities and interests , the budget must be much higher.
One of the great highlights in the military area observed by the American government is the Chinese navy, which further improved its maritime fleet, already considered the largest in the world. Beijing's military currently has two aircraft carriers and is developing a third amphibious assault ship, as well as additional guided missile destroyers, cruisers and frigates.
Soon, according to the report, Xi's regime will be able to carry out long-range precision strikes against land targets both from its submarines and through surface combatants.
The People's Liberation Army has also modernized its equipment and now focuses on combined arms and joint training in an effort to fulfill the goal of becoming the great military power that will overthrow the current world order. The Chinese Armed Forces demonstrated a new long-range fire capability shortly after the American Congressional Delegation's August 2022 visit to Taiwan, an autonomous island claimed by Beijing.
In terms of numbers, China already has the largest navy in the world, with a total battle force of more than 370 ships and submarines, including more than 140 surface combatants. The People's Liberation Army (PLAN) arsenal is largely made up of modern multi-mission ships and submarines, launching in 2022 its third aircraft carrier, the CV-18 Fujian.
Two more Amphibious Assault (LHA) ships are also being developed by Beijing. In the short term, the PLAN will have the capability to conduct long-range precision strikes by land, surface using cruise missiles, and sea.
Another military category that surprised the American Department of Defense was airborne. The Chinese air force has produced the most advanced manned and unmanned aircraft over the past year, constituting the largest aviation force in the Indo-Pacific today. The highlight of the area was the fifth generation fighter, called Ju-20.
The American government report also found that, in the last 12 months, Xi's regime built 100 new nuclear weapons, making the country the fastest growing nuclear power on the planet. Beijing is on track to numerically equal the United States' nuclear arsenal by 2032, as planned by the dictatorship. By 2022, American Defense had around 5,550 nuclear warheads.
In the same year, Beijing intensified its activities in the nuclear sector, arriving in May 2023 with more than 500 operational warheads, according to official data. By 2030, the regime hopes to have another thousand warheads, increasingly increasing production, pursuing the objective of ensuring that the modernization of its Army will make China a “world-class” military force by 2049.
The Pentagon also listed the Asian country's relevant capabilities for biological warfare, which represent a threat to the world's population. According to the White House reported in the document, there is a difficulty in certifying through clear information that the Chinese Armed Forces comply with their obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
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