Iraq had no answer to America’s massive air power during the Gulf War. Photo: Getty Images
Iraq had no answer to America’s massive air power during the Gulf War. Photo: Getty Images
China /  Military

China-US rivalry: how the Gulf War sparked Beijing’s military revolution

  • In 1991, the People’s Liberation Army was ‘backwards’ compared to the might of America, experts say
  • But the US’s demolition of Iraq ignited a modernisation programme that has turned the PLA into a modern, technology-driven fighting force 

Liu Zhen
Liu Zhen in Beijing

Updated: 10:57am, 18 Jan, 2021

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Iraq had no answer to America’s massive air power during the Gulf War. Photo: Getty Images
Iraq had no answer to America’s massive air power during the Gulf War. Photo: Getty Images
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