Introduction
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) boasts of possessing the world’s second-largest military force, showcasing its so-called “strong military dream” on the global stage. Yet beneath this grand facade lies corruption, weakness, and cowardice. From expansion in the South China Sea to border skirmishes, from the Rocket Force’s inflated capabilities to the historical lesson of the Beiyang Fleet, the evidence reveals the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) as nothing more than a paper tiger. The following five points expose how this seemingly formidable force endangers regional security while revealing its fragile reality.
1. The PLA Threatens Regional Security
In recent years, the CCP has intensified its military presence in the South China Sea, constructing artificial islands and deploying missiles, radars, and airstrips. At the same time, PLA aircraft and warships frequently harass Taiwan’s surrounding air and sea space, even firing ballistic missiles into neighboring countries’ exclusive economic zones. Such actions not only threaten Taiwan’s safety but also cast a shadow of war across the entire Asia-Pacific, making the PLA the greatest source of instability in the region.
2. Inflated Weapons and the Rocket Force’s Hollow Strength
The Rocket Force, often touted as the PLA’s “ace,” has instead become a hotbed of corruption. Multiple senior commanders have been purged for involvement in fraudulent equipment procurement, and even defense ministers have been implicated. This deep-rooted corruption suggests that missile data may have been falsified and weapon quality compromised. Behind the polished propaganda of advanced weaponry lies inflated numbers and unreliable systems, raising doubts about the Rocket Force’s actual combat capability.
3. Over Four Decades Without Real War Experience
Since the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War, the CCP has not fought in any large-scale conflict. For more than forty years, the PLA has lacked real battlefield experience, relying instead on drills and joint exercises as substitutes. Military experts point out that no amount of simulation can replicate the chaos and brutality of actual combat. Without this experience, the PLA may appear massive on paper but remains untested and ill-prepared for the realities of modern warfare.
4. Cowardice at the Sino-Indian Border
During clashes along the Sino-Indian border, PLA soldiers carried firearms but refrained from using them, resorting instead to hurling rocks and swinging sticks. This bizarre spectacle revealed not only the constraints they faced but also a deep-seated fear and hesitation. A truly capable and confident army would not behave in such a timid manner during frontline confrontations over sovereignty. The incident exposed the PLA as a force armed with weapons yet lacking courage.
5. The Beiyang Fleet as a Historical Lesson
Looking back to the late Qing dynasty, the Beiyang Fleet was once touted as the most powerful navy in Asia. Yet due to corruption, inadequate training, and poor logistics, it collapsed in the First Sino-Japanese War. Japanese observers at the time had already noted its hollow nature—grand on the surface but rotten within. History repeatedly shows that a military without genuine strength and sound governance will inevitably be exposed in war. Today’s PLA bears a striking resemblance to the Beiyang Fleet: shiny on the outside, fragile at the core.
Conclusion
While the PLA projects an image of power, corruption, lack of combat experience, cowardice, and the lessons of history all reveal its weakness. The CCP’s endless warmongering not only endangers regional peace but also traps itself in the paradox of being “strong outside, weak inside.” Ultimately, this military force cannot escape the judgment of history nor the test of reality.