China improving its military potence rapidly

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

From what I read the PRC failed its objective of kicking Vietnam out of Cambodia. But your right both sides lost a lot of troops and material, the PLA got it worse but they of course could absorb the loss.

As for not favoring military aggression for expansion, ask Tibet! However that was done during the rule of Mao and I think the PRC has come a ways since then.

Like Taiwan they see Tibet as historically belonging to China. We in the West must understand that our views differ massively from theirs, over Tibet. For us it always is Tibetan buddhist and the Dalai Lama. But most Chinese do not even know of - or do not care for - the Dalai Lama. For them they have a national problem of more than 50 different regional subgroups claiming independence from China, which would mean major breakup uf China as the national entity that it is. Tibet just runs as one amongst these other 50 regional incursions.

You will not find examples for a trdition of military conquest beyond the borders of the Chinese empire(s) that equals to that of the European kingdoms, the ancient Greek, Rome, the British or the American ampire. They had plenty of military clashes - but internally between rivalling kingdoms, or when being invaded from the outside.

the traditional way to expand their influence, is clever trading and forming economic bionds, even tricking others into economic or financial dependiencies. For that reason, historically Chinese traders are admired for their skill but are feared and often despised at the same time. But militarioly, there empire's history is rlateively harmless, compared to modern America, Britain or European colonialism.