Army: The Clash of Titans between the United States and China

Published on: May 13, 2026 22:30

Reading time: 1min – Video duration: 2min

The United States and China have the two largest armies in the world in terms of budget, manpower, armaments, and equipment. The 20h de France 2 compared them in different areas.

Here are the two largest armies in the world: the US Army and the People’s Liberation Army, known for their 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 for the United States. In the air, the advantage goes to the United States with almost four times as many fighter jets, often considered more performant. On water, the two countries are neck and neck. The Chinese are building ships at a fast pace, but they only have three traditional aircraft carriers compared to eleven nuclear-powered ones for the Americans.

Both countries possess nuclear weapons, but the Pentagon is estimated to have about ten times more warheads. In terms of budget, the United States is far ahead: $997 billion compared to $314 billion for China, more than triple, even though many experts believe the Chinese figure is underestimated.

Military dominance is also measured by alliances and foreign installations. China has only one base in Djibouti, while the United States officially has 128 bases spread across all continents, and even close to 800 including more informal or secretive ones, according to many experts.

The advantage has been built over decades since the Cold War for the United States. More recently for Beijing, which has been increasing its defense budget by an average of 7% annually for the past ten years. This has turned President Xi Jinping’s vision into reality: making China a military superpower today.