China's Military Is Actually Weak

Soldiers stand at attention during the training for the military parade of the 60th National Day celebration, Beijing, September 7, 2009. [Xinhua]

China’s Deceptively Weak (and Dangerous) Military -- Ian Easton, The Diplomat

In many ways, the PLA is weaker than it looks – and more dangerous.

In April 2003, the Chinese Navy decided to put a large group of its best submarine talent on the same boat as part of an experiment to synergize its naval elite. The result? Within hours of leaving port, the Type 035 Ming III class submarine sank with all hands lost. Never having fully recovered from this maritime disaster, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is still the only permanent member of the United Nations Security Council never to have conducted an operational patrol with a nuclear missile submarine.

China is also the only member of the UN’s “Big Five” never to have built and operated an aircraft carrier. While it launched a refurbished Ukrainian built carrier amidst much fanfare in September 2012 – then-President Hu Jintao and all the top brass showed up – soon afterward the big ship had to return to the docks for extensive overhauls because of suspected engine failure; not the most auspicious of starts for China’s fledgling “blue water” navy, and not the least example of a modernizing military that has yet to master last century’s technology.

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My Comment: On the one had we are reading reports that the Chinese are undergoing a massive modernization program .... and then we read the above critical report by Ian Easton. Who is right .... I suspect that the answer is somewhat in between. But it is true that the Chinese in the past two decades have made great strides in their military .... the question that needs to be answered is .... will the Chinese continue this massive modernization and upgrade program for their military .... or will they start to slow down.