by Mark Stern
The U.S. argues it has to expand its military to keep up with China, which has increased its military spending almost ten-fold. According to this archived report, not withstanding that growth, China’s military still comes nowhere close to that of the USA. The EconoFact Network, which is supported by Fletcher School at Tufts University, reports, for example, in 2023, US global military spending was 39% of the total world military spending and China’s spending was 13%.
China and the U.S. are global military powerhouses but with distinct strengths. China boasts the world’s largest active-duty military personnel and a growing arsenal, including advanced hypersonic missiles. However, the U.S. leads in defense technology, global reach, and air and naval superiority, underpinned by the world’s largest military budget. According to World Beyond War, the USA has 917 bases in 98 countries, where China has 6 bases in 6 countries. Critically, Alan MacLeod points out that 300 of the USA bases encircle China. It is believed none of China’s encircle the USA.
By other measures, China does not come close to the USA. The USA’s nuclear superiority is vast. 6,500 nuclear warheads compared to China’s 280.
The U.S. Air Force remains significantly stronger than China’s, with superior numbers of advanced fighter jets, bombers, and special-mission aircraft. The U.S. also has an extensive aerial refueling capability, essential for global operations, whereas China’s focus remains more regional?. Indeed, the air power of the USA dwarfs that of China. The United States possesses 13,175 total aircraft, and China has 4,630 total aircraft. Further, the US has 377 fighter aircraft, 2,484 multi-role aircraft, and 531 attack aircraft. On the other hand, China has 1,049 fighter aircraft, 1,130 multi-role aircraft, and 120 attack aircraft.
The same is true for naval power. The USA has 9 carriers; China has three. The USA has more than twice as many destroyers. China has more patrol vessels.
China, with a vastly larger population, has a larger ground force. Otherwise, its mechanized land power is comparable
So it is China that has to keep up with the USA, not the other way around, and arguably China’s investment in the military is largely the consequence of the USA’s surrounding China with military bases.
