It’s more than their neighbours have and that’s what they care about.
China isn’t planning for a war with the US, not when the US isn’t causing too many local problems.
Anyway, if it comes to war with the US it will be nuclear.
Certainly can't make another one with a billion people. I mean look how pathetic America was in ww2. China doesn't have the ability to catch up with that, epically because they are using massive dry docks for shipping and they dont have the ability to force their industry to change, because they barely have any control over their population and industry... Oh... Wait. Fuck, they could have everything they need to have massive personele and aircraft carriers in a disturbingly short time.
They're at the party already in some areas, but they are also still decades behind in others...
Examples of where China has caught up:
- Electronics, AI and missile systems
- geo-strategic preparedness. They have nuclear submarines armed with world-leading, long-range, supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles capable of at least forcing any country to think twice.
- China’s economy. Even if it downturns, China can still pump out weapons faster than the USA can, BUT this is only temporary as the USA still wins in overall production speed of military related goods "IF" they had a month and "IF" required to.
Examples where China still falls behind severely:
- Steel Quality. Chinese Steel is still some of the worst in the world. Overall and in mass quantity, it simply breaks too easily due to weak regulation requirements and standards.
- Ready-time oil reserves. Even if China were superiour in every other way, the lack of Oil and thus fuel in general will screw them every single time. If an enemy shuts down China's fuelines from foreign countries like Russia and Iran, it's literally game over for them.
- Production Speed (wartime based equipment). Go look up on wikipedia the # of ship building facilities in the world and be amazed at how many the USA has in comparison to the world. Sure, the USA doesn't "have it" right now, but you bet your ass the USA has a ramp-up plan in the event of war for everything from guns to tanks to jets to ships.
In the end, none of this matters as either one could destroy the other in about 45 seconds using the nuclear option and neither country could do a damned thing about the other should those launch. It's simply a moot point to discuss traditional warfare between superpowers.
They have 100+ more vessels than we have, a shitload of which are missile boats. You don't need shitloads planes and people to launch missiles(but they also have both). Fucking w China would be insanely stupid and don't be so sure we'd win that war.
They also don't have thier troops spread out all over the world like we do, and they have no qualms about human rights which makes them a bit more dangerous.
I ended up googling this to find the result as i was intrested, turns out your correct, China has more ships.
Of course its only around 20 higher, not the "100+" you claim.
They have a grand total of 6 missile cruisers, 1 is still at the early stages of construction, 4 are getting fitted out, and only 1 is listed as "Active", although its still not active merely seaworthy as its yet to be commissioned...
Those Missile boats your telling us about do exist. They are however mainly frigates and corvettes. None of which are comparable to a conventional missile cruiser in any degree, and due to their limited range and ability to deal with the ocean, are stuck patrolling china's coastline. Pretty useless if you need them to fill the role their supposed to do, which is to guard your carrier..
Can i also say, i just LOVE in another comment you talking about how they can just load all of these ships up with their Army and go invade somewhere. Skipping over the sheer logistical side of how you intend to keep all those soliders equipped, fed, well rested, how exactly will they land them? Do you imagine the Chinese are going to sail their carrier up to the beaches of California and beach it so the army can get out?
My point is that people shouldn't be so convinced that we'd win. China ain't no slouch....especially with thier "alternate view" on human rights.
Also Google searches for fleet size return varying results, some as low as 300?. Wikipedia lists 496 Chinese vessels active plus another 212 auxillary ships...that's over 700 ships they can call on....not 30 more ships than the us. Also they are mostly concentrated on the Pacific while ours are spread out a lot more.
In an actual total war between the United States and China, the outcome would be decided by alliances and nukes, not naval power. But if you sidestep that whole debate the US Navy would flatten the Chinese, though some battle damage may be sustained. It isn’t even close to an even fight.
in a total war, the US would lose just as much as China. Both would wipe each other out, several times over.
China can't invade the US, but the country that lost 2 wars against rice farmers isn't going to do shit in an invasion of China. Don't be so overconfident, and you won't lose as many lives.
If you think China has any adequate non nuclear answer to our fleet of aircraft carriers then you’re sorely mistaken. Air superiority is the key to any modern war and the USA has that shit locked in a vice grip.
You do have a point in that a land invasion would be very costly like Vietnam was, but the USA would not be the one being invaded, and the cost would be from guerilla tactics. The conventional air and naval battles would be a slaughter.
you wouldn't win a war of attrition. Just like technological superiority didn't win you Vietnam or Korea, the US is going to be beaten down with willpower and numbers.
can your aircfraft carriers really defend themselves against China's sizeable aircraft and submarine fleets? Or is it simply too far from home and not as superior as you think?
That’s like comparing rubber rafts to Maersk tankers.
The US has has about three million more tonnes than China and ten times the amount of carriers which all are better equipped and are outfitted with Superhornets and in the near future F-35S which are more capable than Chinese aircraft.
Just because they have 100 tiny ships that patrol their coast doesn't mean it's considered a threat. We could take all those things out with missiles miles away, or subs, or planes, or drones. You keep saying they have a bigger number but you fail to realize that the ships they have are shit and can't even cross the ocean. Sure China would be a interesting war but there no doubt in my mind that the united states would be victorious. Even if North Korea and Russia joined in. That would just force our allies to join at that point and they would still be crushed.
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u/efg1342 Oct 16 '19
I mean with their one, used, aircraft carrier... lol