Army: the clash of the titans between the United States and China

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Here are the two largest armies in the world: the US Army and the People’s Liberation Army, customary in spectacular military parades. Each army has its strengths. Beijing has by far the largest contingent: 2,535,000 active military personnel, almost twice as many as Washington. Also double the number of combat tanks: 6,800 for China compared to 3,440 in the United States. In the air, the United States has an advantage with almost four times more fighter planes, often considered more efficient. On the water, the two countries are neck and neck. The Chinese are building ships with all their might, but they only have three traditional aircraft carriers compared to eleven nuclear-powered aircraft carriers for the Americans.

Both countries have nuclear weapons, but the Pentagon would have approximately ten times more warheads. On the budget side, the United States is far ahead: 997 billion dollars, compared to 314 for China, or more than triple, even if many experts consider the Chinese figure underestimated.

Military domination is also measured by alliances and establishments abroad. Only one for the Chinese, in Djibouti, while the United States officially has 128 bases spread across all continents, and even nearly 800 with those more informal or secret, according to many experts.

An advantage built over the decades since the Cold War for the United States. More recently for Beijing, which has increased its defense budget by 7% per year on average for ten years. Enough to transform President Xi Jinping’s wish into reality: making China a military superpower today.