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China is an upper [[Middle-income countries|middle-income country]].

China is an upper [[Middle-income countries|middle-income country]].

China has become a major regional power in East Asia, and after averaging over 9% economic growth per year since 1978 when it introduced a market-based economic system known as [[socialism]] under capitalist management. Foreign businesses have flocked to invest in China, Americans and others rush to buy its cheap factory output, and Chinese exports have flooded the world. It has vast reserves of dollar holdings.  China is modernizing its military, has joined numerous regional and international institutions, and plays an increasingly visible role in international politics. However, the paper statistics of China's growth hide the fact that it may have a weaker economy than it admits, as seen in the current property crisis, high youth unempoyment, many "ghost towns", among other factors (See: [[Chinese real estate crisis (2020–present)]] and [[Deflation in China (July 2023 to present)]] and [[Youth unemployment in China]] and [[Chinese stock markets]]).<ref>Fong, Dominique (June 15, 2018). [https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-ghost-towns-haunt-its-economy-1529076819 China’s Ghost Towns Haunt Its Economy]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved June 15, 2018.</ref>  

China has become a major regional power in East Asia, and after averaging over 9% economic growth per year since 1978 when it introduced a market-based economic system known as [[socialism]] under capitalist management. Foreign businesses have flocked to invest in China, Americans and others rush to buy its cheap factory output, and Chinese exports have flooded the world. It has vast reserves of dollar holdings.  China is modernizing its military, has joined numerous regional and international institutions, and plays an increasingly visible role in international politics. However, the paper statistics of China's growth hide the fact that it may have a weaker economy than it admits, as seen in the current property crisis, high youth unemployment, many "ghost towns", among other factors (See: [[Chinese real estate crisis (2020–present)]] and [[Deflation in China (July 2023 to present)]] and [[Youth unemployment in China]] and [[Chinese stock markets]]).<ref>Fong, Dominique (June 15, 2018). [https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-ghost-towns-haunt-its-economy-1529076819 China’s Ghost Towns Haunt Its Economy]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved June 15, 2018.</ref>  

The nation is under the control of the [[Chinese Communist Party]], which encompasses mainland China, albeit with many border disputes. Since taking power in 1949, an estimated 60 million to 80 million Chinese people have been killed by [[democide]]. This number exceeds the total number of deaths in two World Wars combined.<ref>''Commentary 7, On the Chinese Communist Party's History of Killing. ''Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party.''<br>http://www.ninecommentaries.com/english-7</ref> The communist Beijing regime claims [[Taiwan]] as a province, but Taiwan has never been part of the People's Republic of China and the survival of Taipei's democratic sovereignty is threatened. Currently, China is experiencing its worst Christian persecution in 40 years and among other things millions of Christian children have been forced to renounce their faith (See: [[Persecution of Christians in China]])<ref>[https://www.mnnonline.org/news/chinese-christian-persecution-worst-in-40-years/ Chinese Christian persecution worst in 40 years], Mission Network News, December 2023</ref>

The nation is under the control of the [[Chinese Communist Party]], which encompasses mainland China, albeit with many border disputes. Since taking power in 1949, an estimated 60 million to 80 million Chinese people have been killed by [[democide]]. This number exceeds the total number of deaths in two World Wars combined.<ref>''Commentary 7, On the Chinese Communist Party's History of Killing. ''Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party.''<br>http://www.ninecommentaries.com/english-7</ref> The communist Beijing regime claims [[Taiwan]] as a province, but Taiwan has never been part of the People's Republic of China and the survival of Taipei's democratic sovereignty is threatened. Currently, China is experiencing its worst Christian persecution in 40 years and among other things millions of Christian children have been forced to renounce their faith (See: [[Persecution of Christians in China]])<ref>[https://www.mnnonline.org/news/chinese-christian-persecution-worst-in-40-years/ Chinese Christian persecution worst in 40 years], Mission Network News, December 2023</ref>

The People's Republic of China has threatened aggression against the sovereign republic of Taiwan since Mao's founding of the PRC in 1949.  According to ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine,<ref>https://archive.is/4YC4C#selection-3285.0-3443.121</ref> to have any chance of conquering Taiwan, China might need to transport as many as two million troops across the Taiwan Strait.  This would be a larger invasion force than the [[Normandy Invasion]].  The invasion force would have to land under fire at the island's 14 potential invasion beaches or 10 major ports.

The People's Republic of China has threatened aggression against the sovereign republic of Taiwan since Mao's founding of the PRC in 1949.  According to ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine,<ref>https://archive.is/4YC4C#selection-3285.0-3443.121</ref> to have any chance of conquering Taiwan, China might need to transport as many as two million troops across the Taiwan Strait.  This would be a larger invasion force than the [[Normandy Invasion]].  The invasion force would have to land under fire at the island's 14 potential invasion beaches or 10 major ports.

[[File:Flag of Taiwan ROC.png|left|225px|thumb|Flag of the [[Republic of China]].]]

[[File:Flag of Taiwan ROC.png|left|225px|thumb|Flag of the [[Republic of China]].]]

That is far more troops than the People's Liberation Army Navy can haul in its 11 new amphibious ships that can only haul around 25,000 troops.  To transport the bulk of the invasion force, Beijing would take into service thousands of civilian ships.  To that end, the Chinese Communist Party has created a legal and bureaucratic framework for taking control of thre PRC's commercial shipping, around 2,000 large commercial vessels crewed by around 650,000 mariners.  On Jan. 1, 2017, China's National Defense Transportation Law went into effect. “Among other things, the law mandated that all of China’s basic infrastructure and related transportation platforms would henceforth be treated as military-civil fusion assets,” Ian Easton with the Project 2049 explained.  “At the CCP’s discretion, they were now legally required to be designed, built and managed to support future military operations. In the event of conflict, they would be pressed into wartime service. Now they had to prepare accordingly in peacetime.”  Meanwhile, naval engineers have begun modifying key vessels to make them better assault ships.  Their crews actively are training for a possible assault on Taiwan.

That is far more troops than the People's Liberation Army Navy can haul in its 11 new amphibious ships that can only haul around 25,000 troops.  To transport the bulk of the invasion force, Beijing would take into service thousands of civilian ships.  To that end, the Chinese Communist Party has created a legal and bureaucratic framework for taking control of the PRC's commercial shipping, around 2,000 large commercial vessels crewed by around 650,000 mariners.  On Jan. 1, 2017, China's National Defense Transportation Law went into effect. “Among other things, the law mandated that all of China’s basic infrastructure and related transportation platforms would henceforth be treated as military-civil fusion assets,” Ian Easton with the Project 2049 explained.  “At the CCP’s discretion, they were now legally required to be designed, built and managed to support future military operations. In the event of conflict, they would be pressed into wartime service. Now they had to prepare accordingly in peacetime.”  Meanwhile, naval engineers have begun modifying key vessels to make them better assault ships.  Their crews actively are training for a possible assault on Taiwan.

Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), told ''[[Al Jazeera]]'' in 2018,<ref>https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/23/fake-news-rattles-taiwan-ahead-of-elections/</ref> "We received propaganda warfare coming from China for years, but this is taking a very different form,.  It’s coming in not from newspapers or their propaganda machine but through our [[social media]], online chat groups, [[Facebook]], the zombie accounts set up, somewhere, by the Chinese government....It’s a more serious problem because China is so close to Taiwan, language-wise. They don’t have the cultural or language barrier and can easily fabricate news and they know the mentality of Chinese thinking, so it’s easier for them to orchestrate this misinformation.”  Fake news was traced to servers in the PRC, the Chinese Communist Party, and it's [[50 Cent Army]].  Beijing has reached deep into Taiwan, sowing division and confusion through online disinformation, recruiting business figures, and funnelling cash to pro-Beijing politicians.

Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), told ''[[Al Jazeera]]'' in 2018,<ref>https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/23/fake-news-rattles-taiwan-ahead-of-elections/</ref> "We received propaganda warfare coming from China for years, but this is taking a very different form,.  It’s coming in not from newspapers or their propaganda machine but through our [[social media]], online chat groups, [[Facebook]], the zombie accounts set up, somewhere, by the Chinese government....It’s a more serious problem because China is so close to Taiwan, language-wise. They don’t have the cultural or language barrier and can easily fabricate news and they know the mentality of Chinese thinking, so it’s easier for them to orchestrate this misinformation.”  Fake news was traced to servers in the PRC, the Chinese Communist Party, and it's [[50 Cent Army]].  Beijing has reached deep into Taiwan, sowing division and confusion through online disinformation, recruiting business figures, and funneling cash to pro-Beijing politicians.

===South China Sea===

===South China Sea===

:{{See also|Covid-19 pandemic|}}

:{{See also|Covid-19 pandemic|}}

[[File:WIV.png|right|350px|thumb]]

[[File:WIV.png|right|350px|thumb]]

China agreed to the Biological Weapons Convention in 1984, but both academics and government agencies have asserted that the regime is a world leader in [[bioweapon]] production.<ref>https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/questions-surround-canadian-shipment-of-deadly-viruses-to-china-66254</ref>  The [[U.S. State Department]] and other agencies stating publicly in 2009 that they believe China has offensive biological agents.<ref>https://www.voanews.com/archive/china-denies-us-report-it-has-biological-weapons-capabilities</ref>  China is “commonly considered to have an active biological warfare program,” says the Federation of American Scientists. An official with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defence charged that China is the world leader in toxin “threats.”<ref>https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2019/7/23/defense-officials-see-increased-threat-from-chinese-russian-chembio-weapon</ref>

China agreed to the Biological Weapons Convention in 1984, but both academics and government agencies have asserted that the regime is a world leader in [[bioweapon]] production.<ref>https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/questions-surround-canadian-shipment-of-deadly-viruses-to-china-66254</ref>  The [[U.S. State Department]] and other agencies stating publicly in 2009 that they believe China has offensive biological agents.<ref>https://www.voanews.com/archive/china-denies-us-report-it-has-biological-weapons-capabilities</ref>  China is “commonly considered to have an active biological warfare program,” says the Federation of American Scientists. An official with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense charged that China is the world leader in toxin “threats.”<ref>https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2019/7/23/defense-officials-see-increased-threat-from-chinese-russian-chembio-weapon</ref>

the [[Wuhan Institute of Virology]] (WIV) is linked to Beijing's covert bioweapons program. WIV is under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, but certain laboratories within it have linkage with the PLA or BW-related elements within the Chinese defense establishment.  Suspicions were raised about the WIV when a group of Chinese virologists working in Canada improperly sent to China samples of what he described as some of the deadliest viruses on earth, including the Ebola virus.<ref>https://greatgameindia.com/coronavirus-bioweapon/</ref>

the [[Wuhan Institute of Virology]] (WIV) is linked to Beijing's covert bioweapons program. WIV is under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, but certain laboratories within it have linkage with the PLA or BW-related elements within the Chinese defense establishment.  Suspicions were raised about the WIV when a group of Chinese virologists working in Canada improperly sent to China samples of what he described as some of the deadliest viruses on earth, including the Ebola virus.<ref>https://greatgameindia.com/coronavirus-bioweapon/</ref>

====PLA Navy====

====PLA Navy====

The PLA Navy (PLAN) had a 335-ship fleet as of 2019, about 55 percent larger than in 2005. Based on this expansion speed, the PLA Navy fleet is projected to have more than 450 ships and about 110 submarines by 2030.<ref>https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2020/3/9/eagle-vs-dragon-how-the-us-and-chinese-navies-stack-up</ref>  China currently has two carriers. The ''[[Liaoning (16)|Liaoning]]'' entered service in 2012. The nation's first fully indigenously built carrier, the ''Shandong'', entered service in late 2020.  Comparatively, the [[U.S. Navy]] had 293 ships in 2019, an increase of just two in the last 15 years.

The PLA Navy (PLAN) had a 335-ship fleet as of 2019, about 55 percent larger than in 2005. Based on this expansion speed, the PLA Navy fleet is projected to have more than 450 ships and about 110 submarines by 2030.<ref>https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2020/3/9/eagle-vs-dragon-how-the-us-and-chinese-navies-stack-up</ref>  China currently has two carriers. The ''[[Liaoning (16)|Liaoning]]'' entered service in 2012. The nation's first fully indigenously built carrier, the ''Shandong'', entered service in late 2020.  Comparatively, the [[U.S. Navy]] had 293 ships in 2019, an increase of just two in the last 15 years.

*influencing international organizations.

*influencing international organizations.

It has been alleged that China has a secret plan to invade and takeover the United States via Mexico. In November 1998, an investigative journalist by the name of Scott Gulbransen heard rumors while travelling through Texas of Chinese soldiers in the deserts of Mexico.<ref>http://www.jrnyquist.com/nyquist_2003_0627.htm</ref> One Texan citizen had gone to see for himself but did not make it back alive. Another Texan woman was warned by her family living Mexico not to come to their family ranch due to the presence of foreign soldiers. When the woman travelled to Mexico she learned that the foreign soldiers were "Asians" who were preparing to attack the United States.  

It has been alleged that China has a secret plan to invade and takeover the United States via Mexico. In November 1998, an investigative journalist by the name of Scott Gulbransen heard rumors while traveling through Texas of Chinese soldiers in the deserts of Mexico.<ref>http://www.jrnyquist.com/nyquist_2003_0627.htm</ref> One Texan citizen had gone to see for himself but did not make it back alive. Another Texan woman was warned by her family living Mexico not to come to their family ranch due to the presence of foreign soldiers. When the woman traveled to Mexico she learned that the foreign soldiers were "Asians" who were preparing to attack the United States.  

Gulbransen went to Mexico and talked with various people about Chinese troops. He collected stories from border patrol officers,Mexican policemen, fishermen and others. The main points made were these:

Gulbransen went to Mexico and talked with various people about Chinese troops. He collected stories from border patrol officers,Mexican policemen, fishermen and others. The main points made were these: