The new missile gap [1]<p>[1]<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missile_gap" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missile_gap</a><p>I thought Obama already refuted this in 2012[2]<p>[2]<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK3ORgw-h_4" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK3ORgw-h_4</a>
This is probably just the US Navy making an indirect play for a bigger budget. The Chinese navy and US navy are not comparable.<p>But there is a real change afoot, it seems likely that the Chinese will master making battleships if they put their mind to it. It seems likely they have the industrial supply chains to sustain a real military build-up if they want to. Their manufacturing capacity is a very real thing and they're are no shortage of brilliant, well educated and respectable Chinese engineers, scientists and workers.<p>It is notable that they probably have cutting edge capabilities in nuclear engineering, software engineering and manufacturing engineering. They definitely know how to build drones better than everyone else. Hopefully the future of warfare doesn't involve drones.
China Military spending 2019: $261 billion, or 1.9% GDP<p>US Military spending in 2019:
$732 billion, or 3.4% GDP<p>China leapfrogged the U.S. by spending a little less than one third of what the US squandered. Just let that sink in.<p>Oh and you know what China really is spending its money on, instead of militarized local police forces? Research.<p>China R&D spending in 2018: 4.11% of GDP.<p>U.S. R&D spending in 2016 and max ever spent: 2.7% GDP
I wonder how much of the hundreds millions (billions?) of dollars China was able to save due its status as a "developing economy" contributed to its massive military buildup.
Or for that matter, that high priority for all developing economies, putting a lander on the moon.
<a href="https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3004873/china-refuses-give-developing-country-status-wto-despite-us" rel="nofollow">https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3004873/c...</a>
Number of warships is meaningless, given the US probably doesn't even bother including patrol boats in the count.<p>Gross tonnage or number of capital ships over a specific tonnage would be a better comparison.
Although the China Navy has more ships, the USA navy is the biggest by tonnage by a huge margin
<a href="https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/links-navy.htm" rel="nofollow">https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/links-navy.htm</a>
USA 6.2m tons
China 2.1m tons
Russia 1.9m tons
UK 0.7m tons
India 0.5m tons
.....<p>To put into perspective, according to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy</a>
"[The USN] is larger than the next 13 navies combined, which includes 11 U.S. allies or partner nations"
whether this navy is effective in a theater of war _today_ is a good question. They tend to be sub-optimal in a time dominated by PMC's and asymmetric warfare. Having a highly complex, maintenance-intensive fleet is nice for show and maybe to scare the odd South East Asian country into submission during disputes in the South China Sea. But for it to be effective it needs to be exercised in real life (kinetic) conditions. I think the PRC would get more bang for their buck by sending their troops to Africa (as they already do[1]) for them to get battle experience.<p>[1] <a href="https://defaakto.com/2020/07/18/chinas-other-presence-in-africa/" rel="nofollow">https://defaakto.com/2020/07/18/chinas-other-presence-in-afr...</a><p>edit: I personally don't support any of their current & future war mongering and naval ambitions. The right foreign policy for the US would be maximum pressure and if they don't play by Western rules we should go to war with them immediately (we should have done so the moment they said Taiwan belongs to the PLC or when the news of the Uyghurs broke). Not doing so means we're only postponing this for a later point (when they are even stronger and when the damage will be even bigger on both sides).
Instead of endlessly rehashing Blade Runner and ripping off Neuromancer, it would be nice to see film and TV execs produce something about the what the future world will look like when it’s dominated by the Chinese Communist Party.<p>They won’t though because the Chinese Communist Party is fucking scary and doesn’t take to being commented on.<p>All those little plastic widgets and cheap clothes we import are paying for this navy.
I don’t know how these things wind up on Hacker News, but I oddly appreciate the break from things like “Use Vim to wash your clothes”.<p>1. There are websites to foster fears of warmongering (or to assure oneself that Red Dawn can never happen) such as Global Firepower. Here is the USA vs China. When I’m feeling unpatriotic, it can be fun to play with this website and imagine the torment we could cause our enemies, despite us not being able to regulate ride-sharing companies.<p>2. I’m not sure why military expenditures should matter so starkly. If I buy a 10 laser cannons for $1 million, and you spend $50 million on 5 million rifles, I might still beat you with my Stormtrooper weapon. Point is, it matters more on what you’re buying and building - and how you manage projects - than raw costs.<p>3. This article is not really new. The NY Times made a similar clickbait headline a few years back. The Brookings Institute rebutted it then.<p>4. The IQ arguments are specious. If IQ won wars, we wouldn’t have any. Also, I’ll take Patton, Lincoln, and Washington over their adversaries of the time, despite their adversaries being noted for their intellect. Lastly, what’s IQ got to do with anything in regards to China, a country that doesn’t reward innovative free enterprise. Their best and brightest aren’t at liberty to try their hand in the marketplace of ideas, but are forced to build what the Party says must be built. And those are just the ones that get found out. I imagine the truly bright minds of China stay in academia, escape, or humbly work the rice fields and keep their head down. I would. Why risk notoriety?<p>1. <a href="https://www.globalfirepower.com/countries-comparison-detail.asp?form=form&country1=united-states-of-america&country2=china&Submit=COMPARE" rel="nofollow">https://www.globalfirepower.com/countries-comparison-detail....</a><p>2. <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2018/09/10/why-china-isnt-ahead-of-the-us-navy-even-with-more-ships/" rel="nofollow">https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2018/09/10/w...</a>