China is reportedly undertaking the most significant military build-up since Nazi Germany in the 1930s.
Drawing on the Pentagon’s latest annual report to Congress, Chuck DeVore, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and expert on national defense, highlights a troubling escalation in China’s military capacity and strategic capabilities.
In a recent commentary for The Federalist, DeVore criticized the United States’ focus on the war on terror and nation-building efforts over the past two decades. He argues that this has come at the expense of preparing for threats from China.
He urged Congress to prioritize military resources toward naval strength, nuclear deterrence, missile defense, and logistical support.
“China is engaging in an unprecedented military build-up that the world frankly hasn’t seen since Adolf Hitler in the 1930s,” DeVore said during an appearance on Fox & Friends Weekend. He warned that while Nazi Germany’s focus on land power allowed for rapid expansion, China’s emphasis on naval and nuclear capabilities represented a more complex and enduring threat.
The Pentagon’s report draws attention to the scale of China’s military modernization. Beijing is significantly expanding its nuclear arsenal, with projections estimating more than 1,000 operational warheads by 2030.
The People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) has added 50 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, along with hundreds of medium- and long-range missiles.
China’s naval power has also surged. While the U.S. Navy remains dominant in terms of tonnage, the Chinese fleet has surpassed it in sheer numbers. China’s navy currently boasts 370 ships and submarines, with plans to increase to 435 vessels by 2030. Compounding this advantage, China possesses 250 times the shipbuilding capacity of the United States.
“They’re massively building up their nuclear arsenal,” DeVore warned. “The Chinese Navy, not by tonnage, but by numbers, is now larger than the U.S. Navy. We need to catch up and modernize our nuclear weapons and missile defense systems.”
The Pentagon’s report delves into China’s ambitions beyond conventional weaponry, pointing out its efforts to dominate the battlefield through psychological and cognitive warfare. Known as cognitive domain operations (CDO), this strategy seeks to influence public opinion, destabilize adversaries, and achieve “mind dominance.” This approach integrates emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, big data, neuroscience, and brain science.
The Department of Defense asserts that CDO is designed to achieve strategic goals by altering a target’s behavior and decision-making. The report states, “The goal of CDO is to achieve what the PLA refers to as ‘mind dominance,’… likely to create an environment favorable to the PRC and reduce civilian and military resistance to PLA actions.”
The Pentagon report serves as a wake-up call, urging policymakers to respond decisively to China’s rising military capabilities. With hypersonic missiles, advanced psychological warfare strategies, and the largest navy by numbers, China’s growing power poses a direct challenge to the United States’ global influence and security.
“This is a critical moment,” DeVore warned. “We must act now to ensure our military remains prepared to meet this unprecedented challenge.”