China strives to achieve global leadership in key defense and military technologies. By 2049, the Chinese (PLA-N) Navy is expected to be comparable to the U.S. Navy.
China is building power symbols that could rival those of the U.S. The latest is a wartime military command center that could surpass the size of the Pentagon. It is planned to be the world’s largest military command center—at least ten times the size of the Pentagon.
The massive Chinese Pentagon in western Beijing will be equipped with bomb-proof bunkers for its top civil and military leadership. The bunkers are expected to act as shelter in case of a nuclear attack. The US intelligence believes that this will serve as a wartime command center.
Satellite images indicate a building complex with deep holes sprawling on a roughly 1,500-acre construction site 30 kilometers southwest of Beijing.
Construction started in mid-2024, and the project is dubbed “Beijing Military City.” According to an imagery analyst, at least 100 cranes have been working over a five-square-kilometer area to develop underground infrastructure.
As the Chinese military approaches its centenary in 2027, the size of the sensitive military facility is in sync with Xi Jinping’s ambitions to stand tall to the US. The doomsday bunker will shield the Chinese leadership against American ‘bunker buster’ munitions.
It is the same year in the Chinese timeline when it is expected to be able to attack Taiwan.
“Chinese leaders may judge that the new facility will enable greater security against US ‘bunker buster’ munitions, and even against nuclear weapons,” a former US intelligence officer was quoted by the Financial Times.
The People’s Republic of China will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2049, by which time it aims to develop a “world-class military.” According to the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) paper “China 2049: A Futurological Analysis,” by then, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) would have advanced to the point where it would have a large number of aircraft carriers, ships carrying cruise missiles, and amphibious assault vehicles.
China is also working to obtain a “decisive advantage in the most promising areas of military technology development,” such as hypersonic weapons and artificial intelligence (AI).
China is working on its nuclear warfare capability. It is predicted to have about 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035. According to the latest data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, China had 500 nuclear warheads as of January 2024. In comparison, the US had 3,708 wU.S.heads, while Russia had 4,380.
China has put its resources into developing nuclear submarines and strategic aviation that could eclipse “the ability of the United States to provide security guarantees to its allies in the Asia-Pacific region.”
Despite its burgeoning military capability, China’s Achilles Heel is its lack of integration and network centricity. The country’s massive command center is expected to address this weakness.
According to American intelligence, the present PLA’s headquarters, though new, is not designed to be a secure command center. China’s main secure command center is in the Western Hills, built during the Cold War. The size of the new center represents China’s rising aspirations.
China Races To Gain An Edge Over The US.
The US Department of Defense (DoD) 2024 Chinese Military Power Report (CMPR), released on December 18, 2024, underscored China’s expanded efforts to gain military superiority over America.
The report highlighted how Beijing has increased investment in the country’s armed forces, particularly its nuclear arsenal, naval capabilities, technological progress, and personnel management. The report documented China’s determined efforts to both expand the range of capabilities available to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and improve the quality of its armed forces.
An analysis of China’s nuclear arsenal by the Department of Defense said that Beijing likely possesses over 600 operational warheads, having increased its stockpile by 100 over the past year, and has invested in nuclear-capable submarines, bombers, and missile silo fields.
China is diversifying its arsenal, giving Beijing more options in the event of a crisis, ranging from low-yield ‘precision’ weapons to intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching military and civilian targets within the continental United States.
There is no denying China’s Navy’s numerical superiority over the US Navy. The People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) development into a maturing multi-carrier force is highlighted in the 2024 CMPR.
The PLAN has made significant investments in a new class of amphibious assault ships, nuclear-powered attack submarines, and modern auxiliary vessels. In addition, it launched the Fujian aircraft carrier class in 2022. These capabilities are intended to help the PLAN become a worldwide expeditionary service in the future.
The PLA Air Force (PLAAF) is rapidly modernizing and indigenizing its aircraft and unmanned aerial systems to match US standards.
In 2023, the PLA transferred significant portions of the PLA-Navy’s shore-based, fixed-wing combat aviation units, facilities, air defense, and radar units to the PLAAF. This shift will enable better command and control over China’s integrated air defense systems and the ground-based radars supporting the national integrated air defense system network.
China’s long-standing national strategy is to achieve “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” by 2049. In 2023, China declared its military strategy to prioritize a larger global role while pursuing its development, security, and sovereignty goals. Beijing has shown a growing readiness to employ military inducements and coercion to accomplish these goals.
