Yikes.

The Chinese military is reportedly close to achieving technological parity with the United States, just one step in China’s plan to achieve global dominance.

According to a report by former deputy defense secretary Robert Work, the Chinese are looking to surpass the United States and keep them trailing behind at all costs.

“The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has been patiently stalking the US military for two decades,” the report read. “It has studied the preferred American way of war and devised a strategy to exploit its weaknesses and offset its strengths- particularly its military-technological strengths.”

Work added that China “appears increasingly close to achieving technological parity with U.S. operational systems and has a plan to achieve technological superiority.”

China’s plan to push the U.S. off of its pedestal began in the late 1990s and early 2000s, though actual catching up took longer than expected.

According to Newsweek, China has largely relied upon industrial and technical espionage to establish some form of equal footing with the US, though some innovation has been home-grown.

China’s military budget is the world’s second largest, trailing behind the USA but with more focus on materials.

“Every day we wait, we fall farther and farther behind,” Work said.

This first appeared in WarIsBoring here.

Image: Creative Commons.