Military

The People's Republic of China has the largest military in the world. It is an important economic and political factor. The China.table editorial team provides the latest news on China's military. The Chinese armed forces China has 2.3 million soldiers, making it the largest army in the world. The People's Republic of China also has compulsory military service, which lasts for two years. Anyone who turns 18 by Dec. 31 of a given year must serve. As of 2021, this theoretically applies to 13 million men every year. In practice, young people are therefore less likely to be conscripted, with the exception of students. Both men and women in China have to do compulsory military service in the People's Liberation Army. Either as military training before graduation or within a year of graduation. Because every student has done military service in some way and studying is usually a prerequisite for a political career, politics is very close to the military. How big is the Chinese army? China regularly organizes military parades and exercises to showcase its military might. The military parade from 2019 is particularly worth mentioning. The People's Republic celebrated its 70th anniversary this year. On this occasion, the army attached great importance to presenting the latest developments. China was thus able to demonstrate the high technological level of its own armed forces. The rulers had a total of 15,000 soldiers, around 160 aircraft and 550 tanks and missiles on display, and the People's Liberation Army is extremely well equipped: In addition to its 2.3 million soldiers, China says it has 6,300 tanks. There are also 350 warships, 49 aircraft carriers and 50 submarines. Chinese army: equipment The decisive factor in equipping the Chinese army is that the sheer number of soldiers has been regularly reduced since the '90s. However, exact figures are unknown. It was only in the 2019 White Paper that the government announced that the People's Liberation Army was to be reduced by 300,000 to two million members. At the same time, however, spending is to be increased in order to push ahead with the planned modernization of equipment, with the People's Liberation Army – like the entire economy – relying primarily on domestic production. The completely modernized submarine fleet was manufactured entirely in China. However, the People's Republic's military is still dependent on imports, especially for modern engines. Chinese air force The Chinese air force enjoys a great reputation in the People's Republic. Around 250,000 soldiers of the People's Liberation Army serve here. They have over 2,500 aircraft in military service. 2,000 have combat systems, 1,624 of which are fighter jets, and the Chinese military has been able to modernize and expand its air force in a comparatively short period of time. The fighter aircraft are being supplemented by a strategic bomber fleet. There is also a large number of different drones. From reconnaissance and transport drones to combat drones equipped with weapons. China's military expenditure Such an army naturally costs money. However, the figures for 2021 vary. Officially, China had military spending of around USD 174 billion in 2019. However, as in many countries, not every item in the People's Republic can be clearly allocated. Experts suspect that much of the expenditure was hidden in non-military items. They estimate China's military budget at USD 261 billion in 2019, however high China's military spending actually is, the People's Congress decided to increase the budget at the beginning of 2021. Spending is to be increased by 6.8%. In the previous year, at the height of the coronavirus crisis, spending was already increased by 6.6%. China vs. the USA China has the largest army in the world, but is only in second place when it comes to military spending. The USA spends around three times as much annually at EUR 732 billion. However, China is pursuing the goal of becoming a superpower in 2049. From a global perspective, the People's Republic would therefore like to play the same role that America already has. President Xi Jinping's aim is to modernize the armed forces. The Chinese army is to play a global role and be deployed wherever a military presence is needed, and the two countries are correspondingly clear about this at a political level. Shortly after his inauguration in 2021, US President Joe Biden had warships patrol the Taiwan Strait. The strait, also known as the Formosa Strait, lies between China and Taiwan. Chinese fighter jets had previously violated Taiwan's air sovereignty there. Comparison: Military power of China and the USA However, the USA has invested the vast sums mentioned in a completely different way. In China, around 2.3 million people serve in the army, compared to just 1.3 million in the USA. The United States army is considered to be the most modern and mobile armed force in the world and thus serves as a model for the People's Liberation Army to a certain extent. 5,200 fighter and combat aircraft are almost twice as many as China, but the number of tanks is identical at 6,300. The People's Republic of China has twice as many aircraft carriers. Taiwan conflict The Taiwan conflict has occupied China and Taiwan militarily since the '50s. On one side is the People's Republic of China. On the other side is the Republic of China, also known as Taiwan. From China's point of view, Taiwan is part of the People's Republic. Taiwan insists on its status as an independent country. The People's Republic's one-China policy has led many countries to break off relations with Taiwan. Politically, the island state is largely isolated, but because of the constant threat from its neighbor, Taiwan maintains a comparatively large military. The Taiwanese army has 290,000 soldiers and 1.7 million reservists. With a population of only 23 million people. Due to its political isolation, however, its equipment is considered outdated. Taiwan has four submarines. Two of them date back to World War II. Does Hong Kong have an army? Hong Kong has a special status. The Special Administrative Region is located on the south coast of China and has been part of the People's Republic since 1997. Although state sovereignty was handed over, Hong Kong was guaranteed a free market economy and internal autonomy under the principle of one country, two systems. The Chinese armed forces perform military duties for the Special Administrative Region. When the People's Republic feared riots on the anniversary in 2019, around 12,000 soldiers were stationed in Hong Kong. After the protests in Hong Kong against the head of government there, Carrie Lam, Chinese soldiers also took over the clean-up work. Military power China in Germany Although the German government repeatedly condemns human rights violations in China, it does cooperate with the People's Republic on a military level. For example, Chinese soldiers regularly take part in Bundeswehr training measures, as a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense explained. In 2020, eleven Chinese soldiers are said to have taken part in superior officer training and logistics training, while Germany also benefits from arms exports to China. According to the database of the British Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), Germany exported EUR 173 million worth of armaments to China between 2001 and 2018. Mainly chemical substances. Greenpeace also denounces the fact that engines for tanks and warships are being supplied to China despite the EU arms embargo. Nuclear power China China has been a nuclear power since 1964. However, the People's Republic has declared that it "will not be the first to use nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances." Accordingly, the country wants to keep its stockpile of nuclear weapons at the lowest possible level. This currently amounts to 260 warheads. For comparison: the USA has 7,260 warheads, Russia 7,500, and there is also a paragraph on this in the People's Republic's current 2019 White Paper. China is committed to a complete ban on nuclear weapons and the destruction of existing warheads. The country therefore still does not want to participate in the nuclear arms race. News about the Chinese armed forces All news about the Chinese armed forces, military policy and arms expenditure can be found in German on the China.table editorial team.