Part 8/10:
The reliance on overseas manufacturing has weakened the U.S.'s ability to rapidly produce and deploy advanced weaponry, a critical disadvantage in modern warfare where quantity and speed matter. This industrial decline has paradoxically fueled China's rise as a military-industrial peer, capable of mass-producing complex systems that the U.S. struggles to replicate promptly.
The Future of U.S.-China Military Competition
The recent parade highlights a shift: China is no longer just a copycat but an emerging technological innovator. While their early reputation rested on reverse engineering and theft, the parade indicates they are reaching a new level—self-sufficient, innovative, and capable of deploying systems at scale.