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Why China’s rapid military build-up is ‘hardly the whole story’
The PLA has been moving fast to modernise its arsenal and warfare strategy, but it’s seen as ‘seriously deficient’ in some areas
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Sylvie Zhuangin Beijing
It has been a turbulent year for the fraught US-China relationship. In the third part of a series looking back at the events of 2025, we examine China’s growing military might and how it’s narrowing the tech gap with the US.
US defence chief Pete Hegseth told a conference in Washington this month that America would maintain a “clear-eyed appreciation” of China’s “rapid, formidable and holistic” military build-up.
That build-up is being watched globally, with defence experts in recent years tracking the country’s military advances as the People’s Liberation Army – the biggest standing army in the world – modernises at a rapid clip.
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In the past 12 months, observers have been keeping tabs on social media for any clues as to the progress of two sixth-generation fighter jets under development in China.
Meanwhile, there has been much discussion about the purpose of a mysterious submarine-like vessel, as well as underwater drones being tested in the South China Sea.
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In space, there have been reports from satellite companies on the docking of two Chinese satellites that are believed to have carried out an in-orbit refuelling some 36,000km (22,370 miles) above Earth.
And from time to time, images of large Chinese drones under development have appeared on military websites.
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