Note: The "People’s Liberation Army" (PLA) can simultaneously refer to the PRC Army as a whole or just the ground forces, or include the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN), the People’s Liberation Army-Navy Marine Corps (PLAN-MC), and the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) - plus PLA rocket forces....
Of the 15 ships that regularly do counter piracy operation off the Yemen and Somali coast for the last, 5 are US Navy, 5 are an alternating smattering of NATO GBR, GER, AUS, FRA, Dutch.... and 5 are PRC-PLAN. Since 2010, US Navy SEALS have been training the PRC's Navy, the "PLAN" in counter piracy operations. As Stalin said, quantity has a quality of its own. China did not have to be good. The lost half of the forces they sent into Vietnam in February 1979 and US analysts for years declared it a defeat. But the USSR had signed a treaty with Vietnam for a warm water port at the former USN base at Cam Rahn Bay in 1978. China pointed out to Vietnam that not one Soviet ship, plane or soldier came to help Vietnam...then left. The point was taken by Vietnam but missed by western analysts. Moreover, even the Russians showed that even being poorly trained - a massive well armed army can beat their opponent.
China is no longer the 3rd world military of the 70's. Since 2000, they have had more people studying engineering in China and the USA than live in the USA even counting illegal visitors. They are not the broke backward ill-supported Russian military. The PLA have bought technology around the world to jump start their military. This has included former Soviet aircraft carriers and combat hover craft (Zubr - that dwarf the US Navy LCAC). They bought a Zubr from Ukraine, then started building their own. These now regularly operate in the South China Sea between the PRC's newly built islands. The PLA have amphibious forces in the PLA naval and ground organizations - as well as their air force (PLAAF) controlling full airborne divisions. The PLA have stolen or acquired stealth and developed a Chinese version of the NATO Blue Force Tracker (where their good guys are in red.)
The PLA have been conducting several joint (air-sea-land) force exercises based on US doctrine each year for over 12 years. Since 2014, the PLA have hosted military training with Thailand and Philippine force in China, conducting combined joint amphibious force exercises. China has maintained battalion sized or larger PLA peacekeeper units in thirteen countries worldwide since 2012 including current deployments in Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.
Much of the software and most of the hardware used in the West - including the device you are reading this on - is probably manufactured in China. PRC investment in the USA is huge and the PRC has owned up to half of Taiwan's manufacturing and financial institutions for over a decade.
So, if the largest military industrial complex in the world, which is simultaneously the largest threat to and supplier of goods to the USA is corrupt, that is important - maybe even more so if they don't use their weapons in a thoughtful controlled manner.
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