China and US Military Strength Compared

House Armed Services Committee lawmakers warned in a hearing Tuesday that China had "leapfrogged" the United States on hypersonic weapons technology and was on course to "outpacing" Washington "on new battlefields as well." How do the armed forces of the world's economic superpowers stack up, and does the US really have cause for alarm?

Lawmakers and Pentagon officials at a Congressional hearing on 'The Pressing Threat of the Chinese Communist Party to US National Defense' have sounded the alarm about the People's Republic's growing military prowess vis-a-vis the United States, citing Beijing's growing military might, increases in defense spending and the fielding of advanced weapons - some of which haven't even become operational among the US military yet. Republican House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers and ranking Democrat Adam Smith agreed that China is now "the greatest threat" to the US-led international order, and that if Washington didn't act now to make policy changes, "the next 30 years would be devastating for our nation."

China has already shifted the regional military balance in South Asia, threatens US preeminence worldwide, and is a challenge "across almost every domain" technologically, former US Pacific Fleet commander Admiral Harry Harris said. Tuesday's hearing also included a conversation about the Russia-NATO proxy conflict in Ukraine, and how its "lessons" could be applied to US policy against China on the "Taiwan front."

In light of these competing narratives, just how do the US Armed Forces and the People's Liberation Army compare? Check out Sputnik's infographic to find out.