Good Enough For Party Work?

Can China project military power and win? Is war China's best internal security strategy?

China isn't as strong as it seems. A major reason is that Chinese historically aren't inclined to join the military. 

High-glamour roles such as pilots will always attract enough bright people, but these days air and naval forces need high skill levels across the board, and that is the PLA’s Achilles’ heel: bright young Chinese are possibly the planet’s most civilian-minded population, least inclined to serve under the command of a military hierarchy. More money would only help to induce them to volunteer if there were a concurrent economic downturn. There is one right now, as it happens, with very high youth unemployment numbers declared to be around 20%. But that is hardly a stable remedy for a demographic and cultural reality with deep roots in Chinese history[.]

No doubt China is weaker than it appears with its shiny weapons. 

But do China's rulers know that? 

Also, if the issue is numbers of PLA Army troops, note the "other guys" in the People's Armed Police. Who used to be part of the PLA until separated out and had "POLICE" stenciled on their equipment. The article notes them. But seemingly doesn't give them enough weight for directly supporting the PLA.

China may very well have too few troops and paramilitary troops to control the Chinese people in case of internal unrest. But what ground threat around its border is too much for China to handle in isolation?

Despite demographic problems for the future, China is still a huge country. Enough people are in their military and para-military forces to make them a threat to neighbors. And technology has extended China's reach beyond what it has had for most of its history.

Indeed, isn't the paucity of Chinese security forces for internal security combined with more capable power projection capabilities a reason for China's rulers to seek a foreign war if the people direct their anger at the Chinese Communist Party for one reason or another? 

Remember, the primary function of the Chinese military is to keep the Chinese Communist Party in power. Losing a war is acceptable to the CCP if the alternative is losing power.

And if I do say so myself (in Military Review), any Chinese ground force weaknesses are a reason America should maintain a ground threat to China around its periphery with allies. 

NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 continues here.