‘Surprising’ how quickly China’s military is closing gap with US: analyst Lyle Goldstein
Lyle Goldstein is a senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University, and director of Asia engagement at the Washington think tank Defence Priorities. How do you assess the progress of the People’s Liberation Army’s modernisation drive in the past 10 years and its significance in modern military history? How do you forecast the PLA’s position in 2027,…
Lyle Goldstein, a senior fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute and director of Asia engagement at Defence Priorities, has observed the rapid progress of China's military modernisation over the past decade. He believes this acceleration is unprecedented and significant in modern military history. Goldstein asserts that China has achieved a level of military prowess that it set out to attain years ago.
While he acknowledges the PLA's copying of foreign military designs, he argues that these platforms often end up being superior to their inspirations. He points to China's advancements in hypersonic technology, particularly its submarine-launched YJ-19 missile, which outpaces the US in this domain. Goldstein contends that China's military advancements signal a shift in regional power dynamics, causing growing anxiety among other countries.
He predicts that China will continue to strengthen its military position, though he notes certain areas still lagging behind.
Written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
