If the US and China were to go to war, who would win?

p q

I think they would draw because both sides have their own special advantages and edge over the other.

CONVENTIONAL WARFARE:

The US possesses the most efficient and highest quality weaponry, arms and technology in the world and when used, these can inflict considerable damage on enemy forces and unleash devastating results.

They also have better training and motivation which comes from not being a fully conscript army like China is. These factors play a crucial role in the performance of an army, division or brigade as a whole and can give one side a vital advantage over the other.

The US also has a fairly big advantage when it comes to airpower - highly trained, better equipped and superior quality pilots and fighter/bomber planes â€“ every thing the opposite of what Chinaâ€™s mostly old and obsolete air force currently has at the moment. The same could also be said of the navy.

But China has advantages of itâ€™s own that can balance out against the Americans. One of which is obviously manpower, which can overwhelm and pin down enemy forces, like it did to the Americans and other UN armies in the Korean War.

However, this can spring up potential loopholes - a considerably large army could likely mean lower fighting ability and low quality resources (like guns, armour, ammunition e.t.c) for each individual soldier, and this could cost them in the battle-field.

Also, because of their huge population, ideal terrain and their experience in guerrilla warfare â€“ all of which are ideal building blocks for guerrilla warfare - there is the devastating potential for them to build up and respond with a guerrilla army (like the Vietcong) incase they lose out conventionally. As we saw in Vietnam and what we are seeing in Iraq, American troops historically are known not to cope well against guerrilla tactics

The advantages and edges that both sides have with their armies balance out against each other. The Americans have higher-quality weaponry, superior training & ability, higher motivation & morale and a better airforce and navy on their side, but these can be just about countered with Chinaâ€™s over-whelming manpower, difficult terrain and their potential to respond with (most likely) semi-conventional guerrilla tactics.

So overall: Tie.

NUCLEAR WARFE:

I think itâ€™s probably obvious this one. Both sides have enough nuclear weapons to completely destroy each other ten times over, so in the end no would win.

Overall: Tie.

promethius9594

Assuming the media and the populace could stomach the fight, the US would win if the war were to break out now or in the near future. (We'll also assume no nukes... that gives america the edge as well since our delivery systems are global and china could only be a regional menace.)

China has more people, they're also decades behind the US in technological employment.

They have a strong (and growing economy), but at the current LOW US growth rate and the current HIGH Chinese growth rate (a trend that can't continue) it would still take china 50 years to catch up to our economy.

They have more troops than we do... but most of them are conscript infantry: little more than peasants with guns. Their Air Force is pitiful, they're lacking in armor divisions, and their Navy could be torn to bits by the american naval/air forces in less than three weeks.

Their food is still grown mostly by hands in western china. Their eastern seaboard is the only heavily industrialized area. Destroy the port cities and cripple their economy... destroy their train lines and their transport capability to move food to the large eastern cities would be shot... basically, alot of people would starve. Those same train lines are how china would have to move most of it's peasant conscripts, so a few well placed AF bombs would eliminate china's ability to dynamically respond with troops.

India is OUR ally and a HUGE population base. if they could be convinced to support a western front (or to join the fighting from the west themselves) then there would be an invasion through both the eastern sea-board (crippling their economy and hitting their industry hard) AND the western peasant land (foment rebellion because life would be harder on the peasants, the land is not well defended AND doesn't have much in the way of infrastructure (meaning their response would be sluggish)).

Don't get me wrong, i'm not advocating war in mainland china... but it could be done with the current balance of power being as it is.

mudmarine

The US.
China lacks the logistical base to suppy forces much beyond it's borders.
Burn off the rice crop and they begin to have real problems .

Mahatma Coat

How many aircraft carriers does China have? They just put a man in space last year, we (and the Russians) did it 45 years ago. Our air force would crush theirs, making it impossible for masses of people to move over open territory. Unfortunately our politicians can easily defeat our military.

Bryan

Nobody would win. The world does not want to see 2 nuclear powers face off. inevitably one side or the other would perceive themselves as losing and use their nuclear arsenal for defense. This would have disastrous consequences for the entire world with even a limited strike and response.

bobji738

conventionally, POSSIBLY china...
nuclear war then america will win

tyrone b

America's overstretched right now, why would they want to fight the most populous nation in the world? U.S. can't even win in Vietnam.

tmthyh

America will win. Because China is under communist dictatorship, Chinese people are fed up with rampant corruptions and communist one party hegemony. Chinese people will take the chance to rise up to rid themselves of the brutal communists.

ken s

lets hope that never happens

Ray H

Good question Vinnie G . Statistically the US would be able to cause more damage . We would sink their Navy . Our Navy is the largest / best equipped in the world . Our Air Force has more jets , with better trained pilots . Our Army and Marine Corp , even though out numbered , would be able to dominate though better equipment , tactics, and logistics . I really don't think going to war with China will happen they know that they would hurt us badly , but that we would destroy them totally . Besides China of late is becoming much more of an economic based nation . They are very smart , if they go to war with us it would be severe global depression . Oh , by the way on the odd chance it would be nuclear , China would glow . ( granted once again the US would be badly hurt by this , but there would be survivors here . )

mcneelys2000

I personally think China would. They wouldn't need to even strike back with "war". They own so much USD all they would have to do is sell it at super low prices to rock our economy.

But if war were to take place, I would say China because they have way more people and since they are under communist control, China can force people to serve the war. They have way more people than us so if it turned out to be like Vietnam - sheesh, they could drag the war out much longer than we could handle.

Atomic weapons, China has them too.

Chris_Knows

The U.S....Maybe alone, China would win, but remember that America has allies all over the world....

Faithnomore

I agree with the second answer but I'd have to say that China would have the military edge since they outnumber us and they basically own this country.

Quickie

China will win.

Because America is a free country and China is a communist country. dont believe me? see Vietnam.

WhoMe

Assuming a conventional war - without nuclear - US would win easily since they have far more air power and greater range in missiles. China has a large army - but foot soldiers can hardly battle a stealth evading B2 bomber or a missle launched from Diego Garcia island in the Indian Ocean.

In a non conventional war - it would be probably who drops the first nuclear bomb and how much damage it can do. The ability to respond might be completely lost after that first strike.

Thomas S

Nobody. It's the nature of war.

chris a

well since thee us is 300 million people and china has 1.1billion people or 1/6th of the worlds population a larger standing army and if we got no help from the outside world. chances are we would have a problem. But being a U.S. citizen and knowing how much money we have invested in China's infrastructure and the vast amount of poverty still ramped in china. The chances of china or the us going to war a slim to none there would be no profit in it for either side.

D.C

There is NO real winner in wars. Everyone loses.

dude

China. They are 3 times the size and have a larger military with perhaps more nuclear capability.

FascFiter

India. With China and the US wiping each other out, India would be the world's new economic superpower.

titanman911

China would win. They can sustain enduring pain and suffering that the Americans can't. In addition, they have the largest military in the world.

James

China would win simply because unless the U.S. has a draft, the young people of this country will not fight a war. Also, even though the U.S. may have the biggest military, it can't possibly cover the whole country of China with aircraft. It would be logistically impossible. The U.S. is financially broke, so unless the military equipment suppliers are willing to extend credit to the U.S. for weapons, we aren't going to have enough weapons to fight the number of people in China. The U.S. is banking on the people of China to create an interior resistance movement, this didn't occur during the Viet Nam War. The U.S. has been fighting wars with smaller countries for over 15 years now and most of our weapons, aircraft, and other items to wage war are becoming worn out. I am wondering where all of these industrial plants are that would produce weapons on a massive scale to replace those weapons are. We shipped all of our industries to China. So, is it realistic to think we have any plausible industries here? The people of the U.S. are very weary of wars and are not able to provide the tax support to pay for these wars. If a draft were to be re-introduced, the young people would not want to enlist into the military and would defect. Also, there is a currently a shortage of young men of draftable age in the U.S. and would have to resort to enlisting women. I wonder how that would work out since women are not required to be drafted, much less engage in hand to hand combat with the enemy. I shudder to think what would happen to women P.O.W.s in prison camps. They would be raped, beaten, force to provide sex to the commanders of the Chinese military and so on. A war with China would be one big catastrophe for the U.S. which would probably end in a nuclear exchange instigated by the U.S. just to save face in history.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: