Growing Might of China’s Military

By Lakhvinder Singh

Today China maintains the largest conventional military force in the world. However because most of its weapons systems are old and not suitable for modern warfare, it is modernizing them and new systems are replacing the old at a fast pace.

Currently the Chinese military modernization effort mainly consists of four components. Modernization is taking place in its structure, equipment, technology and training. At the structural level the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is transforming itself from the infantry-heavy, conscript-based military of the 1980s, to a thinner professional army.

It is aiming to reduce its total manpower from 2.5 to 1.5 million soldiers, increase the proportion of non-commissioned officers, and form combined army groups with more specialized units.

At the equipment level Chinese forces are outfitting themselves with modern high-tech equipment and have retired a large number of old weapon systems.

Some of the recent high-profile acquisitions include: fourth-generation Russian fighter aircraft and transporters such as the Su-27, Su-30 and MiG-29, and Il-76; Sovremenny-class destroyers and Kilo-class diesel submarines; and modern air-defense systems.

Russia has been the main supplier to China but recently it has also started cooperation with other countries.

Modernization is also taking place on the technological front. Technological upgrading is considered a major component of China's military transformation process.

Convinced that conventional forces alone will not be able to win any future conflict (especially with the U.S.), China is upgrading all its weapons systems from the lowest rifles to nuclear missile forces and the new-generation nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarines.

As a part of its military transformation process China is implementing a series of reforms in training methods and exercises for its armed forces. The Chinese military has recognized that more robust and rigorous training is essential to improving the PLA's war capabilities.

As a part of the reform process in training techniques the PLA has been placing more emphasis on modern techniques to prepare the soldiers to face high-intensity, information-centric conflict against a technologically advanced adversary like the U.S.

The PLA General Staff Department's (GSD) 2007 Training Guidelines designate ``promoting the transformation from military training under mechanized conditions to military training under informatized conditions'' as the main training principle of China's military.

Beijing's growing military might has serious military and economic implications for Northeast Asia, the wider Asian region and the world.

For one, it is having a serious effect on the growing cooperation process between China, Korea and Japan. Never before in modern history have China, Japan, and Korea been as closely linked economically as they are now.

The economic exchange between the three countries is said be around $1 trillion last year. However despite such a strong economic exchange, the three have failed to develop closer politically as well as strategically.

One reason for this imbalance in their relationship is China's growing military might. Both South Korea and Japan are looking at China's military modernization program with suspicion.

China's growing naval power is disturbing the balance of power in the Indian Ocean. Regional countries are becoming concerned about China's growing reach in the region. Because of this suspicion and mistrust between China and other regional countries are growing alarmingly. This is having a serious effect on regional peace and development as well as on security of sea-lanes of communications in the region.

China's growing military is also causing an arms race in the region. Concerned about its security Japan is adding numerous high-tech assets such as an aircraft carrier, nuclear-powered submarines and long-range missiles to its military.

Worries about China's growing space military technologies have also pushed Japan to a U.S.-led missile defense plan.

In the last seven years South Korea also has increased its military budget more than 70 percent. In a very bold ``Defense Reform 2020'' initiative in 2007, South Korea is stated to be planning to spend $665 billion for the upgrade of its military forces.

Under this plan South Korea is seeking to increase its military budget by roughly 10 percent every year until 2020. Most of the money under this plan is expected go to a host of expensive, high-tech systems such as new F-15K fighters from Boeing, SM-6 ship-to-air missiles that can form a low-altitude missile shield, and Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles.

Beijing's growing military might is also giving credence to the ``China Threat'' theory. With no visible enemy in sight many countries fail to understand such a large-scale military expansion by China. Many countries are becoming suspicious about its hegemonic ambitions in the region.

For peace, stability and economic prosperity in the region there is strong need for China to make every effort to soothe the roused fears and worries of the countries in the region. Without such an effort on its part, the future of this region does not look good.

Dr. Lakhvinder Singh, senior research fellow at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul, is president of the Indo-Korean Policy Forum. He can be reached at parvkapc@rediffmail.com.