China Vs Japan – Whose Military Would Win?

Question

China vs Japan? The countries have long been arch-rivals making us wonder which armed forces would win if they were to go to war. China and Japan are both world superpowers with very strong militaries. Read on for an analysis of both countries’ militaries and our pick for the country that would win if they went to war today.

China Vs Japan - Whose Military Would Win?
China Vs Japan – Whose Military Would Win?

Military Strength

Japan has a defensive military strategy hence it doesn’t have any weapons of mass destruction. It is the 7th most powerful military force in the world. By comparison, China has the third most powerful military in the world behind Russia and the US. It has far superior weapons than the Japanese military as well as a larger security force. In 2016 Chinese armed forces had 3.7 million in comparison to Japan’s 312,000 military personnel.

Japan has an aircraft fleet of about 1,594 with 288 fighter jets. China, on the other hand, has 2955 aircraft with 1271 fighter jets. On land, Japan has 700 combat tanks as compared to china’s 6457 tanks. In the sea, Japan has a naval fleet of 131 while china’s naval fleet stands at 714. It should be noted however that while Japan’s fleet is smaller it is modern and well maintained. China has older equipment, and some are in disrepair.

Military Budget

China’s military budget for 2019 is $177.61 billion. This is four times higher than Japan’s budget which is which has been set at $48.5 billion for 2019. The Japanese will spend about 500 million on space defense and the rest of the budget will go towards upgrading their fighter jets by buying surveillance aircraft, drones as well as fighter jets such as 28 F-35’s. They also intend to purchase two Aegis Ashore, a US missile defense system that costs $1.2 billion per unit. Cybersecurity is also a major concern for Japan.

The larger budget allows China to build its military strength through training, development of lethal weapons and purchase of advanced aircraft carriers, submarines, and missiles. A lot of Chinese resources are also being channeled towards cyber, space and naval security.

China Vs Japan - Whose Military Would Win?
China Vs Japan – Whose Military Would Win?

Allies and Peacekeeping Strategies

Other than military strength a country needs strong allies to support it in case of war. Japan wins here having the US as its ally. The USA is the strongest military superpower and any country that goes against it in war will most likely lose.

Japan’s diplomacy and economic aid to poorer countries also have most of the world on its side whereas china tends to rub many countries the wrong way due to its aggressive policies. Nevertheless, China has an informal alliance with Russia therefore they might call on them for help in case of war. However Chinese military ties to Russia aren’t as strong as Japanese ties to America.

China Vs Japan: Who Would Win?

If China was to go head to head with Japan, then China would win due to its superior military strength. Realistically though, Japan’s military equipment is more advanced as most of it is supplied by the USA. Additionally, the US is bound by treaty to protect Japan hence China would probably be the loser if it went to war with Japan.  

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