The Chinese Military a United States Peer Threat
United States Army Sergeants Major Academy
Class 39
June 04, 2013

Abstract
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has developed into a modern capable force making them a peer threat in capabilities, assets, and economic resources. China in the world’s largest communist regime and has the political stance of growth at any cost. China possesses a strong economy which provides them the financial stability to increase spending on military and technology advancement. The United States has taken notice and has reassessed their regional priority forcing them to implement additional security measures.

The Chinese Military a United States Peer Threat
The People’s Liberation Army
The Chinese military, also known as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), has become a focal point for the U.S. National Security Strategy. The PLA is the U.S.’s closest adversary in size, capability, and technology, making them a peer threat.
History
The PLA traces its origins to the August, 1927 Nanchang Uprising of the communists and the nationalists ("People’s Liberation Army History," 2011). The combination of land, sea, and air forces from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was initially called the Chinese Workers and Peasants Red Army. Between 1934 and 1935 the Red Army encountered multiple conflicts against Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek (CPC) and took part in the Long March. The Long March (1934-1936) was a 6,000 mile march that relocated the communist revolutionaries’ from Southeast China to the Northeast. The second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) lasted through the thirties and into the mid forties. After the end of the Sino-Japanese War between 1945 and 1949 the Communist Party merged its two military forces, renaming it the Peoples Liberation Army. The merging of the two forces brought an end to the Chinese Civil War.
During the 1950’s the Soviet Union heavily influenced the Chinese Military. With Soviet assistance the PLA transformed itself from an Army of peasants to a modern capable force. The PLA entered the Korean War and engaged General Douglas Macarthur’s forces throughout North Korea for control of Seoul. The 1960’s brought the Cultural Revolution and the country’s scientists successfully developed and tested a hydrogen bomb (Lay JR, 1969). Relations with the Soviet Union became tense in 1969. The territorial dispute over the Zhenbao Island located on the Ussuri River led to large scale conflict between Soviet and PLA troops.
During the 1970’s and 1980’s the PLAs military progression slowed due to multiple border conflicts and engagements. Through the early 1970’s China’s relationship with Vietnam began to deteriorate and violent incidents occurred along the Sino-Vietnamese border. Culminating in February 1979, the PLA invaded Vietnam for a 29 day conflict after the Vietnamese defeated the pro-Beijing Pol-Pot regime in Cambodia. The push to modernize the PLA became a priority; in early 1992 China ratified the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. By 1996 the PLA had acquired and tested ballistic-missile technology, and in 1999 China developed the neutron bomb. (http://www.china-profile.com/intro/intro_2.htm)
The primary focus was to expand capability and technology during the 2000’s. Three satellites (communications, GPS, navigation) were launched in 2000 and 2003. The CPC renewed ties with Russia and conducted joint military maneuvers to strengthen bi-lateral relations in 2005. Tensions mounted in 2006 between the U.S. and China, relations took a turn for the worst when the PLA shot down a satellite in an attempt to demonstrate its long range missile capabilities ("China confirms satellite downed," 2007).
Structure
The People’s Liberation Army is divided into four branches of service: The PLA Army (850,000 Officers) consists of 18 combined corps spread over seven area commands; the PLA Navy (235,000 Officers) consists of the Northern, Eastern, and Southern sea fleets; the PLA Air Force (398,000 Officers); and the PLA Second Artillery Force which includes the People’s Armed Police Force (Krishnan, 2013).
Assets and Capabilities
The PLA is engaged in an aggressive modernization program. China revealed in early 2011 the existence of an advanced fighter technology the J-20. China has also upgraded their unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s) to resemble the U.S. Military’s Predator and Global Hawk UAVs. The PLA Navy has added stealthy destroyers, nuclear submarines, amphibious assault ships, and aircraft carriers, capable of carrying more than 50 aircraft to include the J-15 flying shark which is comparable to the U.S. Air Force’s F-18. The PLA has acquired mobile truck launched anti-ship ballistic radar evading missiles, ramjet powered sunburn cruise missiles, which eliminates defensive reaction time to mere seconds. The CPC is also making great strides toward becoming a space superpower; the goal is to launch more than 100 civilian and military satellites into orbit within the next decade. China’s most potent newly developed asset is their cyber warfare program. The PLA has resourced this by providing more than 130,000 personal to this program (Stinger, 2012).
US Military Refocused Attention Toward China
In November 2011 the United States Government veiled a challenged to China’s ambitions and desire for supremacy in Asia. The U.S. identified itself as a Pacific nation and has begun maneuvering to play a larger and longer role in shaping the region’s future. The U.S. has deployed 250 marines to Australia and has promised another 2,200 by 2016. This will increase the U.S. troop deployment population to more than 320,000 in the pacific region. The U.S. has increased its military exercises and constituted the world’s largest international maritime exercise that included India and Russia for the first time. The exercise and inclusion of two other superpowers sent a powerful message to China that the U.S. is dedicated to improving the capabilities of militaries and governments in its strategic backyard. Regional stability has become a priority in the U.S. National Security Strategy. The U.S. Government states they are not trying to contain China but to strengthen the United States’ defensive relationships with their allies and partners in the Asian-Pacific region (Bumiller, 2012, p. A6).

PLA as a Peer Threat
The United States and Chinese Governments have both made public statements regarding increased influence in the Asia-Pacific Region. “The Pacific Ocean is wide enough to accommodate us both,” said Fang Fenghui, the Chief of the People’s Liberation Army, General Staff. “We should be cooperating partners regardless of the circumstances” (Ingersoll, 2013, p. 4). The CPC has dedicated economic resources by increasing their budget by 17.8 percent in 2007 and again by 18 percent in 2008 clearly demonstrating their aspiration to compete and establish a modern fighting force. As example, Chinese military shipyards have increased production of newer more combat effective ships, thus increasing their naval capability from 172 warships in 2005 to an estimated 221 in late 2012. At the current pace with in the next ten years China will become second to only the U.S. in total ships built since 1990. The Chinese Military’s primary focus in their ship yards is the development of modern submarine technology and they have obtained nuclear submarine capability (Collins & Erickson, 2012). The PLA is also improving current missile technology to combat its deficiency in sea and air power. These missile batteries have become the corner stone of the PLA capabilities. Additionally China is building the DF-21D a carrier-killer missile that uses satellites and aerial drones for precision targeting (Axe, 2011). The PLA Navy currently lacks the expertise and fine tuning technology to make them a viable threat (Farrar & Canberra, 2012).
Counterpoints
The Chinese economy is stable and has continually grown since 1980, but economists have predicted a negative transition with far reaching implications. The areas projected to feel the effects are political institutions, demography and export markets which have been vital to their current growth. China, the largest communist regime in the world, promotes a growth at any cost mind set which has led to an extreme disregard for human rights. With its population growing older and wages increasing, the period of cheap labor for companies is ending and will eventually elevate Chinese product prices internationally affecting not only the Chinese economy but global economies as well. This will in turn have a damaging effect on their export markets (Moghe, 2012). The U.S. and China are tied through economic and financial means with both heavily invested in one another’s economies. The United States has announced that it has 3.4 billion in bi-lateral cross-border investment with China. Chinese Government and private firm investments in the U.S. rose 12 percent in 2012 and may hit a new record in 2013 (Pieler & Laurson, 2013). If the two superpowers were to meet in combat; inevitable financial and economic devastation could result. For both countries the financial and political direction has been to work out differences and come to a peaceful economic resolution.

Conclusion
The PLA is intent on becoming a military and space superpower through the development of its air, naval, and cyber warfare capabilities. The PLA’s acquisition of missile and satellite technology sends a strong message to not only their regional neighbors but globally. The Chinese economy has been stable becoming the second largest in the world allowing the financial maneuverability to increase defense spending at alarming rates. However time maybe this burgeoning economy’s enemy. The aging Chinese population and increased cost of living will force the eventual rise in product price. Increased product price will challenge Chinese export markets and will slow their economy affecting the ability to pour money into the military. The U.S. and China have shared economic investments though they have separate political, economic, and global goals. The United States has reassessed its Asia-Pacific regional security plan and is focused on having more of a prolific role in regional security, development, and partnerships.

References
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