The military per GDP spends less than most industrialized countries. The devil is in the details: Eisenhower's warning of the military industrial complex has come to roost in China. This is a system that encourages corruption and nepotism. In most industrialized militaries there are codes of conduct and battle readiness exercises and standards. In China there are literally echelons of readiness. The best equipment is for the best troops. China has a conscript army with a high turnover. Their current army and military could conquer land, but it cannot occupy it, hence one of the reasons they balk at toughter rhetoric and action against Taiwan. They are better suited to running students over in tanks and imprisoning journalists and so-called Fifth Columnists. The government dare not train soldiers that one day may show up at Tianenmen Square on the side of the protesters.
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