China is seeking global leadership in key defence and military technologies amid fierce rivalry with the West – and Russia should learn from it, a Russian think tank has said.
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“By 2049, we can expect the PRC navy to achieve a combat potential comparable to the US Navy,” the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) said in a report earlier this month, using the acronym for China’s official name.
The year 2049 marks the 100th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, by when it aims to have a “world-class military”.
People’s Liberation Army (PLA) advancements by then could include a significant number of aircraft carriers, ships carrying cruise missiles, and amphibious assault vessels, according to the RIAC report, whose title translates as “China 2049: A Futurological Analysis”.
China will also strive to gain a “decisive advantage in the most promising areas of military technology development”, including artificial intelligence (AI) and hypersonic systems, it said.
The policy brief, examining China’s economic, diplomatic and defence potential based on current trends, was published on January 14.