China is so bloated... Yes they have impressive numbers, but their technology is so inferior. Furthermore, so many of their neighbors neutralize the threat. Think about it, India and Japan are so skeptical about China's rise. Also, the smaller but significant ASEAN states are also skeptical. China is struggling to gain control over Taiwan (because of U.S assistance obviously). But still, their numbers don't mean so much, because U.S.'s technology enables us to have a limited amount of troops (Please don't bring Iraq to refute my arguement, such a horrible war).
If it ever got to that point, 200 million men wouldn't mean much. We have plenty of neutron bombs to take them out and submarines to take care of any ships trying to deliver such a colossal force. A force this large is impossible to supply and deliver from a country like China. Unless it is fought on Chinese or nearby soil. But, like they are going to get 200 million men to march to Europe without being completely demolished? Iraq was supposed to have the 4th largest army in the world, but they were broken rather easily and quickly. And besides, air power is where its at. Israel showed what happens when an air force with the latest high tech crafts flown by extremely skilled pilots meets someone like Syria or Egypt. I believe something like a 70 to 1 kill ratio?
'latest high tech crafts flown by extremely skilled pilots' One magazine had an article that around 1992 the Mig-29s flown by East German pilots, when pitted against the USAF F-16/15 and even F-14s were getting shot out by 4 to 1. Experienced minds blamed that on Soviet Airwar Tactics which relied more on centralized and ground based directions rather than own initiative and assesment like those adopted by the USAF and other western nations. When these German Mig Boys were trained on the USAF tactics then the Mig-29s were maintaining good 1:1 ratio vrs F-16/F-15s. Even today, Pilot skills are equally important to the technology being flown. Cannot compare Soviet trained Egyptian/Syrian squads vrs Israeli top guns. IAF even matches upto USAF in air drills.
Although I would love to talk ad-nauseum on the strategic planning aspects of our military, my post was directed at the OP's slanted view and faulty information. It certainly appeared he comes from the "blame America first" crowd. US interests lie outside our borders, that is why we have the presence. Do you really think the air base in Shindand is to help secure western Afghanistan? Korea, West Germany, Tanzania, Liberia.....we are strategic folks. Wait until Obama or Hillary sit through their first "real" intel sitrep on the world, he, he. If you don't think oil is worth blood, then what is? It is the basis of our economy and standard of living. Instead of drilling, we are using our food...now that is funny! Wars are fought over resources don't ya know?
You forgot extremely poor training. It's exceptionally difficult to train that large of an army. And poor training, even with good equipment (much less inferior and outdated stuff) is essential. Let's not forget the Iraqi Republican Guard brigade that had the latest Russian GPS jammers in Baghdad that were destroyed by - yep, you guessed it. GPS Guided Bombs.
No one can predict the future. Right now US has a vastly superior military. but who know 10 or 20 years for now what will happen. China is stealing all our military secrets. They will have acess to all our technology soon enough. Actually they are stealing technology from everywhere. Thier spys have been caught in many european nations trying to steal technology. Countries like India and russia are so corrupt china can get all the sensitive info from those countries. In my opinion china is the most dangerous country in the world and thats saying a lot cosidiring all the lunatic muslim countries there are out there.
Sorry, but this is simply a non-issue. Communist Party officials now line their pockets with monies funneled from the new economy. They make MUCH more money by keeping their own economy and the economy of the world well greased and lubed. The last thing they want is a supply disruption somewhere in the world because the rained a couple of ICBM's on some democracy somewhere or sent in a few hundred thousand troops. No, what they want is for you to sit on your couch and be a good, fat, lazy American consumer and buy their manufactured goods. Then they get wealth beyond their wildest dreams and expectations. And, by the way, they own lots of dollars and lots of assets in the US. The last thing they are going to do is bomb or attack our interests. Instead, they are going to fill our house up with Chinese goods and put us to bed...