Could China beat the U.S. if war began?
368462
We have the technological edge over China, at least so far.\nThey have numbers. Lots of numbers. Multiples of numbers.\n\nBut there's another side to this other than the military side. Where does most of our stuff come from these days? China. Got to war with them, and we lose a significant portion of our goods.\n\nWho has hundreds of billions of dollars hoarded up? China. Go to war with them, and they can wreck our economy, perhaps irrevocably.\n\nCould we win? Maybe... but it wouldn't be much of a win even if we did...
18581
I think so.  China has a huge military.  But the US military is far more advanced.  Thats why the chinese military is striving to be like the US.  I think it would be nasty, violent, and numerous casualties, but the US would win in the end.
86033
China isn't going to be the "absolute power."  While technologically they are moving quite fast, socially and politically, they are generations behind.  During the 1980s, it was the belief that the Germans and the Japanese would become two of the dominant forces in the world, possibly even passing the US.  But, less than a decade later, both economies were crashing.\n\nI don't think the USA will "crash off" either.  The only way the US would really run into a problem is through isolationism.  I think the idea of countries as superpowers are going to lose their luster since the end of the Cold War.  Instead, it will become consortiums, such as NATO, the EU and OPEC.\n\nAs much as some people would hope the US would dissolve, they don't realize the true potential for it.  We are so invested throughout the world, through economic and social foundations.  The US donates more money to humanitarian causes that anywhere else, and we have the largest economy, both for consumption and production.
662513
No.  China is great at defending itself, but that is about it.  There is no reason to invade the Chinese mainland, so don't expect a war any time soon.
569808
the main reason i don't think we should start a conflict with china is the fact that their 1.2 or so billion people could ride here on f---ing canoes and put up a descent fight.
124815
i think the chinese are a very secretive nation and there levels of technology are kept secret certainly there military technology. i think it would be a tight battle i wouldnt like to choose i just hope to god that no one ever finds out the outcome for it would be one bloody battle.
1106897
U.S.A.and new contender, China
89335
Well, for one thing, China will be another superpower to contend with.  They have lots of people all of the same sense of nationality and patriotism; they have tons of money and they develop their own arms and nuclear weapons.  They should really be taken seriously.\n\nOh yeah, and they've established bases all around the world.  Isn't there a Chinatown in your state?
994977
If that was the case, all hell would break lose and there would be a huge war.\n\nThat'll never ever happen.
828343
unfortunately not.  Too many people in India compared to US.  Unless India attacks america and occupy its land...they stands no chance.  There are very few countries in the world that did invade other coutries and occupied land.  India and China are two such countries.  No wonder why these two countries are now  over crowded.
455343
China becomes the new economic superpower... U.S. becomes much more like current eurpean nations are now... powerful, but not the main power... overall, there won't be a major difference on "the streets"
55216
Not in my lifetime.  As long as the USN controls the seas, it won't happen.  Remember, the German army couldn't even get across the English Channel in WWII, and the Chinese Army certainly isn't going to cross the Pacific anytime soon.  Heck, their navy currently isn't capable of extended blue-water operations, much less supporting an amphibious assault all the way across the Pacific.
149682
China will be the most powerful country and United States will obey China's politics. . .
199132
Attacked and invaded China to get the resources they needed for world domination.  \n\nThen attacked the US at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.\n\nThen they lost the war they started.
706101
oh yes even taiwan have u.s help China will still win and u.s will lost more troop in iraq which mean more that 3000 will be kill. becuase China have the world larger amry.
811559
If you know the history well, you wouldn't say U.S lost to V.N, you need to look at the bigger picture during that era. I want to say that the U.S has not lost a war, yet. \n\nThe U.S abandoned South Vietnam to allie with China against the U.S.S.R during the Cold War. \n\nLogically speaking... how can can the U.S lost to a third world country back in the day...when in the past the U.S has defeated Germany, Italy and Japan, and many other countries? It's rediculous to say that U.S lost to VN.
304487
China is a threat but by far not the real threat. Its nation has survived for thousands of years. These people are not stupid; Eastern military thought is superior to that of the West, even if their military technology is not as advanced as the West's. The Chinese follows the wisdom of Sun Tzu's Art of War; the most important teaching it has is: "To win a thousand victories is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill."\n\nIndeed the US is in debt, just like -every- other country in the world. China would not have to even invade and occupy the US; why would it want that responsibility? It already has 2 billion people to worry about. To become the global hegemone, they only need to sit back and watch the United States throw away its people and its money in its foolish exploits around the world (ie, Iraq?). We are weakening ourselves tremendously in all areas. We are alienating our "allies." We are expending our treasury. We are dulling our weapons of war.\n\nHowever, we must also look at a greater threat to every country in the world. Globalization is demolishing national identities and borders. Multinational Corporations, which have no loyalty to their home countries nor the host countries, are able to manipulate governments to do their bidding. The scariest part is that there is no morality and little accountability; the bottom line of capitalism is making profits at any cost. There is no built in morality within capitalism, rather it relies whatever morality a capitalist has beforehand. Other non-state actors also can threaten the United States of America, such as gangs, drug cartels, mafias, etc. MS-13 is the most dangerous gangs in the US, and it is destroying us from the inside.\n\nIf we faced China, it would be easier to know who the enemy is and how to fight them. But as we can see in the past few years, it is the more shadowy enemy that we cannot fight or defeat. Al Qaeda is a perfect example of this. It has been years, but we still have not been able to destroy this organization. States seem to be helpless when it comes to fighting non-state actors, but it is no surprise. Non-state actors have to deal with less bureaucracy, don't have many worries that state actors have. As a result, they are flexible, fast, invisible, all over the place, and deadly (thanks to technology like internet, explosives, WMDs, etc).\n\nBut it is not surprising. Before 1648, there was no modern state. There were only non-state actors. And now they will rise again, over the ashes of the states. It sounds apocolyptic, but we only need to see recent events to see that states have a very difficult time fighting them.