- What just happened:
China accelerates its high tech military hardware buildup and expands its nuclear force since 2021, the start of Biden administration.
According to March 2024 testimony from John Aquilino , commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, and other sources, since 2021, China's military has:
added 400+ fighter aircraft
inducted 20+ major warships
doubled its missile inventory
increased # of satellites it fields by 50%
more than doubled its nuclear warheads
- Why it is worth noting
It is implausible that a country spends so much resources to expand its military if it believes the chance of major conflict is minimum. While Aquilino stated "All indications point to the PLA meeting President Xi Jinping’s directive to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027", it is also not surprise that crisis can develop before or after that.
Happy tracking!
Image Credit: Caption In the Image.