{"id":17205,"date":"2019-02-15T10:30:13","date_gmt":"2019-02-15T10:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/02\/15\/americas-greatest-advantage-against-china-is-slowly-eroding\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:38:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:38:01","slug":"americas-greatest-advantage-against-china-is-slowly-eroding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2019\/02\/15\/americas-greatest-advantage-against-china-is-slowly-eroding\/","title":{"rendered":"America\u2019s greatest advantage against China is slowly eroding"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 For several years, Pentagon officials have been sounding the alarm about China\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/pentagon\/2018\/01\/30\/the-pentagon-is-planning-for-war-with-china-and-russia-can-it-handle-both\/\" target=\"_blank\">growing military abilities<\/a>, with a particular focus on how Beijing has closed the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/pentagon\/2018\/03\/30\/chinas-ai-ambitions-are-driving-us-innovation-so-whats-americas-hold-up\/\" target=\"_blank\">technology gap<\/a> between the two nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But when discussing that, officials and experts often also note that the U.S. remains ahead in a key capability: training and doctrine for its war fighters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s the way American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines can think on the fly and make decisions under pressure. It\u2019s the ability for the branches to coordinate efforts across a battlefield, region or on a global scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe greatest advantage that the US has at the moment over the PLA (the People\u2019s Liberation Army) is that the U.S. has been working on doctrine, training, professionalization for a lot longer than the PLA, with actual experience to back it up,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/top-100\/2018\/08\/23\/these-7-chinese-companies-each-topped-5b-in-defense-sales-and-could-rival-american-firms\/\" target=_blank>Meia Nouwens<\/a>, a Chinese military expert with the International Institute for Strategic Studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2019\/01\/15\/new-defense-intelligence-assessment-warns-china-nears-critical-military-milestone\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-824401954.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">New defense intelligence assessment warns China nears critical military milestone<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The new assessment from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency warns that China may soon be comfortable making a move on Taiwan.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But PLA leadership is aware of its shortcomings, and Chinese officials have previously been open about the need to improve training. For instance, a Feb. 5 article published in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/china\/diplomacy\/article\/2184992\/chinese-navy-veteran-warns-training-not-hardware-key-military\" target=\"_blank\">South China Morning Post<\/a> quoted a retired Chinese naval officer as saying: \u201cSome people hold the view that our military planes are more advanced than others. But if we look at the level of training of our forces &#8230; we are not at the same level [as others] yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chinese President Xi Jinping has launched a series of military reforms to try and force more joint operations and planning \u2014 reforms that could lead to the PLA becoming a more formidable force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That assessment is shared, at least in part, by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, which in January released a new report on China\u2019s military power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A senior DIA official, briefing reporters, acknowledged that China is dramatically closing the gap when it comes to technology, but noted \u201cthere is more than just technology involved; there\u2019s experience, there\u2019s experience, there is command structure, there is training, there is proficiency.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2738\" height=\"937\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/china.jpg_661930.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-35415\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/china.jpg_661930.jpg 2738w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/china.jpg_661930.jpg?resize=300,103 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/china.jpg_661930.jpg?resize=768,263 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/china.jpg_661930.jpg?resize=1024,350 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/china.jpg_661930.jpg?resize=1536,526 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/china.jpg_661930.jpg?resize=2048,701 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2738px) 100vw, 2738px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: IISS, &#8220;The Military Balance 2019&#8221;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think there will be significant growing pains, but they seem to have chosen a blueprint for how they want to move forward to be what they consider an advanced military,\u201d the DIA official said. \u201cBut it&#8217;ll take some time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just how much time? That\u2019s hard to pin down, according to analysts. But the consensus seems to be that the PLA will have reformed itself sometime in the next two decades into a force capable of joint operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey&#8217;ve been talking about joint operations for a long time, but some of is it just now sort of being implemented. And it will take a while for them to be able to work these services together, to be able to work these joint theaters and to be able to deal with a large, complex operation,\u201d the official added. \u201cSo I think in a lot of ways, they have a lot that they need to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But technology and money matter in the equation. Per IISS figures, China\u2019s official defense budget grew in real terms by 10 percent on average, year over year between 1998 and 2018. Much of that was invested in the PLA Navy and the PLA Air Force, as well as toward <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/smr\/cultural-clash\/2019\/01\/28\/without-a-clearer-ethics-policy-the-us-could-lose-the-military-tech-battle-with-china\/\" target=\"_blank\">innovations in space, cyber and cutting-edge capabilities like artificial intelligence<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s something for the U.S. to watch closely, said Nouwens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe bottom line is that no matter where you think the PLA are outmatched, the most important thing to realize is that the PLA and its leadership are fully aware of where they need to improve,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd they\u2019re throwing massive resources at fixing their weaknesses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3999\" height=\"2250\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-806849698.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-35419\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-806849698.jpg.jpg 3999w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-806849698.jpg.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-806849698.jpg.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-806849698.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-806849698.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-806849698.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1152 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3999px) 100vw, 3999px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People&#8217;s Liberation Army soldiers prepare for the arrival of China&#8217;s President Xi Jinping at the Shek Kong barracks in Hong Kong on June 30, 2017. \nXi arrived in Hong Kong on June 29 for a three-day visit to mark the 20th anniversary of the city&#8217;s handover from British to Chinese rule and to inaugurate new chief executive Carrie Lam on July 1. \/ AFP PHOTO \/ DALE DE LA REY        (Photo credit should read DALE DE LA REY\/AFP\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Experience still counts<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PLA leadership isn\u2019t shy about watching and learning from the U.S. military, and China watchers say Beijing tracks how the U.S. military operates. But Roy Kamphausen, senior vice president for research with the National Bureau of Asian Research, says China may never be able to fully close that gap without getting directly involved in conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is an area of great advantage for the United States. It\u2019s not that we have a unique way to prosecute war that is a secret from the rest of the world and therefore \u2014 irrespective of system capabilities or any other independent variable \u2014 we would win because we have great doctrine. It\u2019s that we have doctrine that is actually being tested in combat,\u201d Kamphausen said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t think we can overstate how critical a factor this is. I\u2019m not arguing that we ought to fight wars just because it gives us an advantage of war fighting, but no other military achieves a comparable set of effects in leveraging effective command and control to implement doctrine using the advanced capabilities it has and making the most of the highly trained set personnel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While agreeing China has fallen behind because of a lack of external conflicts since the 1970s, Nouwens warned it \u201cwould be naive and wrong to assume that just because the Chinese haven\u2019t fought a war, they\u2019re not learning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe PLA and its leadership keenly watch for lessons learned from other countries\u2019 wars \u2014 and so, too, are learning from U.S. experiences in the Middle East, for example. Furthermore, joint exercises between the PLA and other militaries, such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/08\/20\/russian-military-on-alert-for-massive-war-games-said-to-be-the-largest-since-soviet-games-in-the-80s\/\" target=_blank>Vostok exercises<\/a> with Russia, are also used to learn and gain experience during peacetime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She added that in drills, high-ranking officers are rewarded for taking risks, and there is anecdotal evidence that low-ranking officers are being given greater decision-making rights \u2014 potentially eroding that aspect of America\u2019s advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So would China be willing to get involved in a conflict in the next two decades to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/news\/your-military\/2018\/08\/17\/pentagon-china-close-to-nuclear-triad-has-practiced-targeting-us\/\" target=\"_blank\">test its doctrine<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Neither Nouwens nor Kamphausen see China seeking out a major power conflict in the near term. But there may be options for something smaller in China\u2019s backyard, whether over a long-simmering conflict with Japan over the Senkaku Islands, or with the long-sought apple of Beijing\u2019s eye: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/training-sim\/2018\/06\/07\/see-taiwans-military-simulate-fight-against-chinese-attack\/\" target=\"_blank\">Taiwan<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DIA official said that while China could devastate Taiwan today with ground-based cruise missiles, the PLA appears unconvinced China\u2019s armed forces are up for an invasion and occupation. However, the official did say China is approaching the point where officers are more willing to consider an invasion \u2014 a major milestone for the PLA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kamphausen said he was \u201cquite taken\u201d by that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2019\/01\/15\/new-defense-intelligence-assessment-warns-china-nears-critical-military-milestone\/\" target=\"_blank\">DIA statement<\/a>, noting it is a change in the long-standing American view about the PLA\u2019s internal judgments on readiness. But still, he predicted, China will try to avoid any direct conflict with the U.S. for some time, even if it is in Beijing\u2019s regional sphere of influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn specific scenarios, usually closer in to China, they can imagine a context in which the PLA Navy and ground-based or land-based missile systems could create a strike effect which could devastate or defeat a U.S. naval task group, in a specific set of limited circumstances,\u201d he said. &#8220;But this begs the question as to what comes next. The PLA is really good at conducting pre-conflict \u2018strategic assessment of the situation,\u2019 and they will surely judge that the U.S. would respond in a very robust way to an initial PLA strike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs a consequence, I\u2019m not of the view that they are gunning for early war with the U.S. I don\u2019t see how it supports their broader developmental goals because the stakes are so high for the [Communist] Party that to pick a fight with the U.S. that they could well lose puts the regime at risk.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Added Nouwens: \u201cChina\u2019s goal of regional power is set for 2035, while a more global role is envisioned by 2049. Other than a potential Taiwan scenario, there is no real pressing need for the Chinese to be a military peer competitor with the U.S. just yet.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>America&#8217;s forever wars are letting China technologically catch up. Now, that experience in conflict may turn out to be America\u2019s best edge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":35411,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["pentagon-congress","news"],"primary_category":"pentagon-congress"},"4":{"categories":["pentagon-congress","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"pentagon-congress"},"5":{"categories":["pentagon-congress","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"pentagon-congress"},"6":{"categories":["pentagon-congress","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"pentagon-congress"},"7":{"categories":["pentagon-congress","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"pentagon-congress"}}},"categories":[45,160,162,11,36,19,30,119],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3378],"class_list":["post-17205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-pacific","category-daily-news-roundup","category-digital-show-daily","category-global","category-newsletters","category-pentagon","category-smr","category-munich-security-conference"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"SDV64LWU6ZARFKETQZPLHNFNDU","arc_canonical_url":"\/pentagon\/2019\/02\/15\/americas-greatest-advantage-against-china-is-slowly-eroding\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>America\u2019s greatest advantage against China is slowly eroding - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"America&#039;s forever wars are letting China technologically catch up. 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