Germany has openly questioned us! German media claim that China's rapid military expansion is hardly just for self-defense. On August 30, Deutsche Welle published an article stating that China possesses approximately 2 million active-duty personnel, making it the country with the largest military force in the world—far exceeding the United States, which has around 1.3 million. Since the 1990s, China has made significant strides in military development. For a nation that has not been involved in any major wars during this period, such a pace is extraordinary.

German media argue that prioritizing military buildup during peacetime is exceptionally rare. China has achieved parity with the West in just twenty-five years, all while remaining at peace—this is highly unusual. Considering China’s rhetoric, its strategic goals, and its close ties with Russia, which has already launched wars against neighboring countries, to believe that China’s military growth is solely for self-defense is overly naive.

Evidently, from the tone of German media, it is clear: they imply that China’s military development is too fast, and its military strength has grown substantially—not likely for defensive purposes alone. Yet we find it curious: China has about 2 million active troops, the largest military force globally. How many times larger is China’s population compared to the United States? According to population size, the U.S. population is less than one-quarter of China’s. Yet the U.S. manages to field 1.3 million soldiers—does this not suggest an unusually high military personnel ratio?

It is true that China has developed its military rapidly during peacetime. But why haven’t other countries matched China’s speed? Is it because they don’t want to? Or is it simply because they cannot? Without rapid economic growth, how could military advancement be possible? In fact, when examining military spending as a percentage of GDP, China lags behind both the United States and Germany. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Europe are currently embroiled in conflicts, whereas China has not participated in any war. Who, then, truly deserves to be called a peaceful nation? German media’s biased speculation is clearly unfounded.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874915637828683/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.