China's Military Strength Growing, Defense Department Says
http://usinfo.state.gov/eap/Archive/2005/Jul/21-224768.html
[In an interview with reporters accompanying him from Washington, Rumsfeld said the United States and other countries would like to know why the Chinese government has understated its defense spending. He mentioned no budget figures, but the Pentagon said last summer that China may be spending $90 billion on defense this year, three times the announced total.
"I think it's interesting that other countries wonder why they would be increasing their defense effort at the pace they are and yet not acknowledging it," Rumsfeld said. "That is as interesting as the fact that it's increasing at the pace it is."]
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/1019rumsfeld19.html
The Chinese are simultaneously INCREASING their military spending and REDUCING the total manpower of their military -is that hard to fathom or something?
They've recognized that cannon fodder is irrelevant. Rather than having a vast poorly trained and poorly equipped military they're going for a smaller military that's better trained and better equipped, largely in emulation of the United States.
My basic point is the idea that the one-child policy was part of some grand evil long-term plot to create hordes of family-less men for gigantic invasion forces is idiotic.
As it is, the rather large body of newly unemployed former military men in China because of their strength reductions is a serious problem.