China's Military Modernization: Assessing China's Weapons and Strategic Reach in the early 21st Century (Asia@War)

China’s Military Modernization explores the rapid technological transformation of the Chinese armed forces and its strategic implications for the Asia-Pacific region. At the heart of Beijing’s ascent lies a systematic and well-resourced effort to develop next-generation military capabilities across all domains, enabling China to assert its regional ambitions and directly challenge the United States and its allies.Like Russia, China has shaped its defence posture around a robust Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) doctrine—creating a layered projectile-based network designed to deter or disrupt foreign intervention. With the deployment of advanced supersonic and hypersonic missile systems, many of which remain beyond the effective interception capabilities of Western missile defence platforms such as AEGIS and THAAD, China’s A2/AD matrix has become increasingly formidable. Yet, where Russia has focused largely on territorial defence and strategic deterrence, China has gone further—pursuing force projection and full-spectrum capability development.This book details the extensive modernisation efforts within the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and Navy (PLAN), including the introduction of fifth-generation stealth fighters such as the J-20 and J-35, development of a sixth-generation J-36, anti-stealth radar systems, and the fielding of advanced anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons. Alongside these developments, the integration of autonomous stealth drones and electronic warfare platforms reveals an ambition not merely to catch up with the United States, but to compete as a peer military power.Nowhere is this ambition more stark than in the Taiwan Strait. China’s force structure, operational doctrine, and strategic posture increasingly point toward preparations for a potential invasion of Taiwan—raising the stakes for regional security and drawing in major powers including the US, Japan, and Australia. This book invites defence scholars, analysts, and military professionals to consider how the West might respond: through improved alliance cohesion, enhanced regional basing, and revitalised research and development strategies to counter emerging Chinese threats.As with all volumes in Helion’s @ War series, China’s Military Modernization is supported by rare photographs, detailed colour artworks, organisational charts, and technical analysis. It offers an essential, accessible assessment of one of the most pressing military transformations of the 21st century and the strategic challenges it poses to global stability. Read more