OpinionThinking About China

The Pandemic Has Not Stopped China’s Military Buildup

Save
The Pandemic Has Not Stopped China’s Military Buildup
Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers line up during military training at Pamir Mountains in Kashgar, China, on Jan. 4, 2021. STR/AFP via Getty Images
Richard A. Bitzinger
Updated:
Commentary

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted nearly all aspects of daily life across the globe, but when it comes to China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the virus has hardly blunted the pace of modernization. Overall, the PLA is still on track toward meeting its goals of achieving “complete military modernization” by 2035, and becoming a “world-class” military by 2049.

Richard A. Bitzinger
Richard A. Bitzinger
Author
Richard A. Bitzinger is an independent international security analyst. He was previously a senior fellow with the Military Transformations Program at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) in Singapore, and he has held jobs in the U.S. government and at various think tanks. His research focuses on security and defense issues relating to the Asia-Pacific region, including the rise of China as a military power, and military modernization and arms proliferation in the region.
Related Topics