Military Briefs:
- During the earthquake relief efforts in Tibet, the Chinese-made Z-20 helicopter, which was originally considered a replacement for the American-made S70 helicopter, did not make an appearance. In the 1980s, China imported over 20 UH-60 helicopters from the United States, which were modified for high-altitude operations and designated as S70 helicopters. These helicopters have been serving on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau for thirty years, maintained with imported parts. The newly introduced Z-20 helicopter, which has been in service for a few years, holds a similar position in the Chinese military as the S70 does in the U.S. military. Many in China hope that domestically produced aircraft can replace imported models to demonstrate the strength of their “national defense industry.” However, recent Tibet disaster relief efforts still primarily relied on imported helicopters. Such aircraft are not secret weapons with high-end roles in the military; they are air transport vehicles that do not require secrecy for their use. This phenomenon reflects the reaction of China’s decayed Nazi-like social system in scientific research. China’s aviation technology may be insufficient to support high-altitude operations with these new aircraft.
- Changes in China’s new and old amphibious assault ships
The evolution of China’s new amphibious assault ships reflects the characteristics of China as a late-developing imperialist power. In imperialist navies, aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships serve different purposes. Aircraft carriers are used to launch and recover large numbers of fighters, engaging in air battles with enemy imperialist and colonial powers to gain control of airspace or sea areas. They are equipped with devices like arrestor wires and catapults to fulfill these roles. Amphibious assault ships, on the other hand, serve the land and marine forces of imperialist armies, facilitating landings on enemy or colonial territories. Their design includes decks for helicopter takeoff and landing, as well as hangars for landing craft and hovercraft.
However, China’s newly built ships are based on the amphibious assault ship design but have added catapults and arrestor wires—equipment typically used for fighter aircraft. Clearly, China intends to use these ships to perform some of the roles of aircraft carriers.
This phenomenon indicates that China, as a late-developing imperialist country, is eager to expand its military capabilities, reflecting the severe crisis of capitalism in China. The Chinese bourgeoisie itself is uncertain how long the economic recovery initiated by the new Keynesian policies at the end of 2024 will last, whether it will lead to a boom or trigger a new economic crisis. The outbreak of such a crisis would further intensify the already raging class struggle in China. Therefore, the Chinese bourgeoisie is rushing to leverage its early advantage in military expansion, trying to catch up and fill gaps in its military power compared to other imperialist nations, preparing for a potential world war. They also hope to sustain Chinese capitalism by militarizing the economy domestically and seizing colonies abroad through war.
In terms of military technology, this phenomenon also reveals China’s disadvantages in carrier-based aviation personnel and equipment numbers. Although supporters argue that the shortcomings of fighters can be offset by the advantage of ballistic missiles with a range of 4,000 km, this compensation is very limited.
The map shows the regions and seas covered by Chinese missile ranges↓
The uncovered areas of the Pacific Ocean↓
Despite the long-range missiles covering many countries and waters in the Western Pacific, the vast Pacific Ocean remains beyond China’s missile reach. There are still large areas of the sea that Chinese carrier-based aviation must address. China could deploy missiles to colonies and island nations in the Pacific to extend coverage, but such actions would likely cause domestic suspicion and opposition, with people questioning why missiles are being stationed in foreign countries. Hostile imperialist countries would also react, risking conflicts similar to the “Cuban Missile Crisis” of the last century.
Given this military disparity, China still aims to develop weapons comparable to or close to those of U.S. imperialism. The decay of Nazi-like elements is reflected in weapon development, leading to the absence of similar fixed-wing aircraft on China’s amphibious assault ships as used by the U.S. and others. As a result, China has to adopt the approach of equipping ships with catapults to ensure they can carry aircraft like those of other nations, striving to have “all the aircraft that the U.S. has.”
Some argue that China is now the most powerful industrial nation, and even if some weapons do not yet reach the world’s advanced levels technologically, its strong industrial capacity can significantly increase the quantity of these weapons, enabling it to achieve victory in a world war through overwhelming force.
However, this view has obvious flaws. First, a considerable portion of China’s “powerful” industrial output is dedicated to light industry producing consumer goods, and a large part of the population remains engaged in agriculture. How much of this productive capacity can be converted into military industrial production is uncertain. Second, China’s heavy industry heavily relies on Australian and African mineral resources. If future global conflicts lead to resource blockades, it is unclear how much of China’s industry can continue operating normally. Moreover, while a large number of weapons might defeat hostile imperialist states and comprador regimes, people’s wars in semi-colonial and colonial contexts are not won solely by weapon quantity. Ultimately, China’s bourgeoisie will also face downfall amid unified opposition from domestic and international working people.
【
】中国国产“直20”直升机 未出现在西藏地震救援报道中 | 联合早报
【】https://https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/china/story20250107-5697442 China Navy to Complete New Amphibious Assault Ships and Other Major Weapons
【】中国“四川舰”下水 可在渡海战中执行多种任务 | 联合早报
