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China produces of some of the world’s most advanced weaponry, and in some cases has surpassed the United States, its biggest geopolitical rival, a US study said.
Beijing’s enormous military strides in recent years were in part achieved by laws that required foreign companies to share technological know-how in exchange for access to China’s vast market, the Defence Intelligence Agency, a Department of Defence combat support agency, said in a report on Tuesday.
“The result of this multifaceted approach to technology acquisition is a PLA [People’s Liberation Army] on the verge of fielding some of the most modern weapons systems in the world,” it said.
The report said that besides the advancement China made in weapons building, the PLA’s most daunting task was how to transform traditional ground operation-focused, inward-facing forces into separate but equal professional services capable of joint operations across the globe.
This transformation in the military was triggered by Beijing’s threat perception, which it believes could undermine its objective of perpetuating Communist Party rule.
“These include long-standing concerns regarding Taiwan independence, Uygur and Tibetan separatism, and perceived challenges to China’s control of disputed areas in the East and South China seas,” the report said.