Someone who actually has facts... Who would win a conventional war between China and Russia?

Answer 1

Sometimes I read answers and I'm driven to distraction by how thoughtless they are. Some of the responses to this Question are no exception.

Russia (back when it was the USSR) and the PRC have actually skirmished for years prior. After the split in the 50s, border clashes finally resulted in a sharp war in the late 60s, a brief affair that saw the Chinese beaten throughly. The aftermath of that saw the old Red Army station approximately 12 divisions in Mongolia to counter any perceived Chinese threat. It bears remembering that 12 divisions versus ten times that across the border is more a testament to how the Soviet Union considered China's fighting strength than anything else.

The Russians have better experience in offensive warfare (recent experience at that, thanks to Afghanistan and Chechnya) while the PRC has fought two wars to a standstill with ugly casualties (Korea, then Vietnam) and no final victory. China's military is also in a perpetual state of flux, thanks to political loyalty considerations and endless reform movements. China is also resource-poor, while the Russian Federation is not.

In all seriousness, were it to come down to a conventional war, the PLA would not be able to deploy superior numbers. Asides from its 15th Airborne Army, all the other best reaction forces in the Chinese heartland are prepositioned to strike at Taiwan. Individual Group Armies can be shuffled around, but even then the logistical problems would be terrible for China, which suffers from an impoverished road network.

China would also have to fight through the Central Asian states to its west; in the east, the terrain is inhospitable and not suited for maintaining large forces in the field indefinitely. Whatever early success the Chinese have in, say, capturing Vladivostok would be balanced out by the PLA's inability to strike into the heart of the Russian Federation. The Russians, on the other hand, would only need to hold Vladivostok, and launch a limited drive into Manchuria to destroy the best of China's industrial base. Limited objectives, as opposed to fighting for control of every inch of Chinese territory, would see China brought to the negotiating table much quicker than the Russians.

Answer 2

Russia. China has a large military but their hardware is all knockoffs of Russian equipment and at least 20 years behind in technology. China also has a rather antiquated nuclear deterrent and numerically inferior to Russia's.

Answer 3

China. More people, can survive Russian winters unlike the Germans, and Russia is a bit torn apart right now! They would have a hard time taking on anyone frankly!!

Answer 4

Don't need facts for this one. Which country has been separated from it's other body parts by national boundaries that didn't exist before? Which country is only a shadow image of what it once was and especially from a political and military power standpoint? From which country would you choose troops if you wanted the best army? In a prolonged, all out war, which country would go bankrupt first? Who do we borrow money from to finance Bush's wars?

Answer 5

It's all about the numbers game and China has more people.

Answer 6

RUSSIA there is the facts China SUX

Answer 7

china it has a bigger military and a stronger economy than russia

Answer 8

RUSSIA

Minimum Military Enlistment Age: 18 Years Old

Available Military Manpower: 35,247,049
Total Military Personnel: 3,037,000
Active Frontline Personnel: 1,037,000

Yearly Military Expenditure: $18,000,000,000
Available Purchasing Power: $1,539,000,000,000
Reported Gold Reserves: $181,300,000,000

Small Arms Authorized Exports (FY2005) : $130,000,000
Small Arms Authorized Imports (FY2005): $12,000,000





NR = Not Reported


Aircraft: 7,331
Armor: 48,270
Artillery Systems: 30,045
Missile Defense Systems: 19,250
Infantry Support Systems: 19,300
Naval Units: 701
Merchant Marine Strength: 1,199





NR = Not Reported


Serviceable Airports: 1,730
Railways: 87,157 km
Waterways: 96,000 km
Serviceable Roadways: 537,289 km
Total Square Area: 17,075,200 km





NR = Not Reported
bbl = Barrels Per Day


Major Ports and Harbors: 10

Oil Production: 9,150,000 (bbl per day)
Oil Consumption: 2,800,000 (bbl per day)
Proven Oil Reserves: 69,000,000,000 (barrels)

Labor Force: 74,220,000







NR = Not Reported












CHINA




Minimum Military Enlistment Age: 18 Years Old

Available Military Manpower: 342,956,265
Total Military Personnel: 7,024,000
Active Frontline Personnel: 2,255,000

Yearly Military Expenditure: $81,480,000,000
Available Purchasing Power: $8,182,000,000,000
Reported Gold Reserves: $795,100,000,000

Small Arms Authorized Exports (FY2005) : $100,000,000
Small Arms Authorized Imports (FY2005): $NR





NR = Not Reported


Aircraft: 9,218
Armor: 13,200
Artillery Systems: 29,060
Missile Defense Systems: 18,500
Infantry Support Systems: 34,000
Naval Units: 284
Merchant Marine Strength: 1,700





NR = Not Reported


Serviceable Airports: 489
Railways: 71,898 km
Waterways: 123,964 km
Serviceable Roadways: 1,809,829 km
Total Square Area: 9,596,960 km





NR = Not Reported
bbl = Barrels Per Day


Major Ports and Harbors: 7

Oil Production: 3,504,000 (bbl per day)
Oil Consumption: 6,391,000 (bbl per day)
Proven Oil Reserves: 18,260,000,000 (barrels)

Labor Force: 791,400,000

Answer 9

china