China’s military & economic rise in East Asia

By: Hamza Niazi

From being one of the poorest states to the world’s second biggest economy. China has done a marvelous job in every sector whether military, economy, or infrastructure. When President Xi Jinping came to power he had a vision, indeed a dream, of One China.

Making China great and this vision of his inspired the whole nation of 1.4 billion people. There are different age groups and different communities, communities with a variety of religions, but President Xi’s vision makes them all one.

Surveys in various parts of China show the people just love him, because of his vision for China. In the China dream President Shi has dreamt about three main factors for China, power, wealth and respect.

It’s not as China was always on the path to success and prosperity, now that it is, it is respected by the world. And there is evidence that during the past 40 years the world is admiring Chinese success.

China has shifted from an agricultural state to a global technology manufacturing powerhouse contributing almost 30 percent to the world economy. China is now the world’ second largest economy. China has lifted its 800 million population out of poverty. China’s economy skyrocketed when it joined the WTO in December 2001.

This was a major breakthrough. China’s integration cemented its position in the global economy. Companies like Ford, Apple and Nike others started manufacturing products in China due to the cheap labour. Due to the WTO many developed economies started coming to china like the USA and many others, and those economies led China to stand where it is now . In the next  15 years the Chinese economy skyrocketed and one can see from the figures how things moved very fast, faster than anybody expected.

Not only in the economic sector, has China also proven itself in the military domain. Since China adopted its open-door policy in 1978, the People’s Liberation Army is building up its military capabilities. The economic growth over the years has helped a lot.Military expenditures have skyrocketed fivefold since 2000, although China has downsized its military from six million troops from 40 years ago to two million now. If the 1970s era at that time China had J-6 fighter jets which were outdated.

The military and the monetary ascent of China will help it to make the distinction of China at the global level. China utilized the serene technique to acquire strength as far as the military which is currently difficult for the world forces and furthermore drawing in different nations in such manner as far as the economy.

But China now has the J-20, China’s first stealth fighter jet. The J-22 is often compared to the USA’s -22 fifth-generation fighter jets. According to the Pentagon the Chinese Air Force is now the largest in Asia and the third largest in the world.

The Chinese military is second only to the military of Russia and that of the USA. Its military expenditure is the second largest in the world. China is continuously modifying and building up military capability which poses a constant threat to its hostile neighbours. The branches of the People’s Liberation Army are: Ground Force (975,000 personnel), Navy (240,000 personnel), Air Force (395,000 personnel), Rocket Force (100,000 personnel) and Strategic Support (175,000 personnel. The PLA is the world’s largest military force. And the world’s fastest modernizing military force.

The skyrocketing progress in economic, military and technological strength has created a serious threat for some of its hostile neighbours and some other states like the USA. The USA on many occasions has accused China of stealing jobs from it. The advancement in technology like the past case of Huawei. This issue disturbed China’s economy very badly.

The CIA Director said in an interview  that the constant Chinese economic growth was affecting the USA, and it was not very fond of this extreme progress in almost every sector whether economy, the military or technological development.

He continuously criticized China for capturing or occupying islands in the South China Sea, another major issue in Sino-US relations. The USA claims China is occupying islands which are rich in minerals and also hold a very important strategic location and can also be used for trading purposes.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that China’s threat to India and South East Asian states is one of the reasons US troops are being deployed in other areas. He challenges the actions of Chinese Communist party, that its actions meant that there were threats to India and other states. Pompeo also blamed China for wanting to undo all the progress of NATO. He also blamed China for escalating serious tensions with India in the Ladakh region.

The USA is very much involved in the South China dispute and says apart from India, China is also involved in various territorial disputes in the South China Sea and with many East Asians states.

In an interview with the Chinese ambassador in India, he said that the 20 Indian Army personnel  killed in that incident was not the responsibility of China. When asked how many Chinese army personnel were killed in that incident, he answered that the answer or information would not be able to ease the situation between the two states, but would only escalate the situation.

Concluding the above material it can be concluded that the rise of China as an Asian giant, or one can say that the regional dominan, is a constant headache for its adversaries or states like the USA. And most importantly one can conclude after a deep study of Chinese strategies that the Chinese government, the Chinese military is capable of dealing with the opponents like the USA and China is able to tackle serious or one can say dangerous situations. Currently China is rising in a positive way through its massive trade industry in which the foreign developed economies which have been discussed above play a very key role in the skyrocketing progress of China.

China’s forceful disposition is showing that China is equipped for taking care of the multitude of threatening nations and can be managed whenever required. Presently China, through the force of its economy, has effectively occupied the regional debate of its neighbors. The military and the monetary ascent of China will help it to make the distinction of China at the global level. China utilized the serene technique to acquire strength as far as the military which is currently difficult for the world forces and furthermore drawing in different nations in such manner as far as the economy. China’s quiet ascent on the planet is growing acceptable justification for China later on legislative issues of the world and give the world another feeling of harmony and financial advancement in spite of the conflicts and the showdowns.

The writer is a freelance columnist