‘Surprising’ how quickly China’s military is closing gap with US: analyst Lyle Goldstein

Lyle Goldstein, a senior fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute and director of Asia engagement at Defence Priorities, has noted the remarkable acceleration of China's military modernization in recent years. He describes it as akin to an aircraft rapidly shifting into high gear, with the pace of progress intensifying over the past decade.

Goldstein asserts that China's military has reached unprecedented levels of modernization, effectively fulfilling its stated goal of becoming a world-leading and class military force. Despite some areas requiring further refinement, China's military now possesses an impressive array of advanced platforms, including aircraft carriers and hypersonic missile systems, outpacing many other nations.

This military advancement is particularly striking in the realm of undersea warfare, where China has recently demonstrated its ability to launch hypersonic anti-ship missiles from submarines, a capability the US still lacks. Goldstein emphasizes that while some aspects of China's military development may have involved copying existing designs, particularly from the United States, the overall progress has been significant and led to a narrowing of the gap between China and other global military powers.