There is only one country on Earth that the United States officially calls its pacing rival. This is the one competitor it measures every new weapon, every budget and every strategy against. That country is China. In one generation, it has gone from bicycles and rice fields to aircraft carriers and space stations. So here is the question of this episode: how powerful is China, really? Is it already equal to America, or is the gap still wider than the headlines suggest? Let us measure it honestly, number by number.
Money and Industry
Start with money and industry, because China's power is built in its factories. Its economy is worth about $20 trillion. It is the second largest economy on Earth, behind only the United States. When we measure by purchasing power, it is the largest of all.
China is the world's biggest manufacturer and the biggest exporter of goods. Its factory output is more than the next several countries combined. It leads the planet in electric vehicles, batteries, solar panels, drones and shipbuilding. It also ran a record trade surplus of about $1.2 trillion. This is not a country that imports its strength. The world buys its strength from China.
The Armed Forces
Now look at the forces. The People's Liberation Army has roughly 2 million active personnel. This is the largest standing military on Earth. Its official defence budget is about $249 billion. This is the second largest defence budget in the world. But Western analysts estimate that the true figure is higher.
At sea, the Pentagon estimates that China's navy is now the largest in the world by number. It has more than 370 ships and submarines and 3 aircraft carriers. The newest carrier has electromagnetic catapults. Behind the navy is the biggest shipbuilding capacity on the planet. In the air, China has some 1,900 fighters. Most of them are modern. Its stealth jets, like the J-20, are growing fast.
The Missile Wall
Then comes the missile wall. This is the weapon America fears most. The PLA Rocket Force has the world's largest land-based missile force. The Pentagon estimates at least 1,550 launchers and around 3,500 missiles.
Among them are the famous carrier-killer anti-ship ballistic missiles. They are built to keep US fleets at a distance. There is the DF-17 hypersonic glide vehicle. It travels too fast and too low to be stopped. There is the DF-26, which can reach Guam. And there is the DF-41 intercontinental missile, which can reach almost any city on Earth.
Its nuclear force is also growing. The Pentagon estimates China had more than 600 operational warheads in 2024. This number is on the way to 1,000 by 2030.
The Limits on China's Reach
But reach is where the picture changes. China's Belt and Road Initiative covers Asia, Africa and Latin America. Yet China has exactly 1 overseas military base, at Djibouti, and only 1 formal ally.
The United States, by contrast, is placed all around China with allies and partners. These are Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Australia. The United States also has a global network of bases.
China has not fought a war since 1979, so its large force is untested in modern combat. It imports most of its energy through sea lanes that it does not control. This problem is called the Malacca dilemma. At home, it also faces a shrinking and ageing population. Its property sector is still dragging on growth.
The Verdict
So, what is the verdict? China is already a regional superpower. In Asian waters, its missiles, its shipyards and its sheer numbers make it the strongest military force in its own neighbourhood. The gap with America there is becoming smaller every year.
Globally, the United States still leads. It leads in aircraft carriers, alliances, bases, combat experience and reach. China is not yet America's equal everywhere. But power is not only about today. It is also about direction. And no country on Earth is moving faster than China.
Next episode: how powerful is Pakistan?
Watch the video: How Powerful Is China? | China vs USA | Most Powerful Nations on Earth #7 on YouTube. This article is the full written version of the video, in simple English. See all articles on the Blogs page and more videos in the History Series.