China is also a country with significant and growing military power. China is the second-largest defense spender in the world, after the United States, with a value reaching $261 billion USD in 2019.
China also has the largest military personnel in the world, with around 2.2 million people in 2020.
China has equipped itself with various sophisticated military equipment, such as ballistic missiles, nuclear submarines, stealth fighter jets, aircraft carriers, and satellites.
China is also one of the five countries with nuclear weapons, estimated to have around 320 nuclear warheads in 2020.
However, China’s military power does not guarantee that China can become a superpower. China still lags behind the United States in terms of the quality and quantity of military equipment, as well as experience and operational capabilities.
China has also not been involved in a major war since 1979, when they fought with Vietnam.
Moreover, China also faces challenges and threats from neighboring countries, especially concerning territorial claims in the South China Sea and East China Sea.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, which is rich in natural and geopolitical resources, as part of its sovereign territory.
However, this claim is opposed by other countries with overlapping claims, such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.
China also disputes with Japan over ownership of the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, located in the East China Sea.
These islands also have high economic and strategic value, as they are believed to have large reserves of oil and natural gas.
These disputes have the potential to trigger military conflicts between China and other countries, which could threaten regional stability and peace.
Soft Power
