In recent decades China has risen to be a major global economy and significant player on the world stage. However, tensions between China and the US, as well other nations in the Asia-Pacific region, have intensified. Some even fear that a war with China could breakout. But what if it did? Could we ever see a country try and invade China? And if so, would that even be possible? In fact, it wouldn’t, and we’ll explain why…
1. China Has A Huge Population
A first reason why China could never be invaded is because of its huge population.
China is the second most populous country in the world, with 1.41 billion people. This would make any invasion of China essentially impossible. China’s enormous population would be fully mobilized to resist any invasion. This would not only mean that the Chinese army would increase it’s man power to fight against any aggressor, but also that Chinese people would work in huge numbers to produce munitions and other materials needed to repel an invasion. This huge mobilisation would mean China could resist almost any attempt to invade.
Invading a country with a huge population poses a range of challenges. These include overcoming the resistance that’s posed, but also the likely need for any invading army to kill huge numbers of people in order to succeed. The international community would isolate any country that tried to do this, adding to the difficulties of successfully invading China.
2. China Has An Enormous Military
A second reason why China could never be invaded is because of the strength of it’s military.
China has one of the largest armies in the world, with over two million active-duty personnel and over another million reservists. The Chinese armed forces also have up to 5,000 battle tanks, over 2,500 combat aircraft and 417 warships. The sheer size of the Chinese military would make any invasion of China almost impossible.
As well as having a huge military, China’s armed forces are also highly equipped and well-trained. In recent years China has invested heavily in developing the latest military technologies. China has also improved the training of its military, ensuring that it is a modern fighting force.
The combination of China’s enormous military, as well as the training and equipment available to the Chinese armed forces, means it would almost certainly repel any invasion.
3. China’s Is Geographically Too Big To Invade
A third reason why China could not be invaded is because its such a big country.
At 9.59 million square kilometres, China is the third largest country in the world. Invading a country that is so big is extremely difficult. Firstly, it means there is a huge amount of territory to conquer and occupy. Secondly, it means there are large areas where resistance forces can mobilize to harass occupying troops. The simple fact that China is such a big country makes it essentially impossible to invade.
As well the size of China making it difficult to invade, the country also has tough geography that would pose a challenge to an invading army. China’s geography includes deserts, mountains, rivers and swamps. It also has tropical zones and periods of extreme cold weather. Any invading army would need to be able to overcome the difficult geography of the country, whilst also preparing for the varied climates found in China. This would be extremely challenging for an attacking army and adds to the reasons why China could almost certainly never be invaded.
4. China’s Enemies Are Too Far Away
Another reason why China couldn’t be invaded is because the country’s enemies are just too far away.
There are very few countries that would, realistically, be motivated to invade China. There are also very few that would have the military strength to even attempt it. In fact, really only the United States could be considered as a nation that could attempt an invasion of China, and even this is a highly unlikely prospect. However, if did US did want to invade China, the issue is that it is simply too far away. An invasion force would need to cross the Pacific Ocean, where it would be extremely vulnerable to attacks by the Chinese air force and navy.
It is possible that the US attempts an invasion of China by stationing forces in nearby allied countries, such as South Korea or Japan, however even these countries are too far from China for an invasion to be realistic.
The fact that China is actually just too far away from any country that could, or even would, try to invade it is one reason why there will never be an attempt to occupy China.
5. There Would Be Global Economic Turmoil If China Was Invaded
One reason why China couldn’t be invaded is because of the global economic crash that would happen if it was.
China is a major economic power. With a GDP of 17.73 trillion dollars, it is the second largest economy in the world. As well as being a significant global economy, China is also highly interconnected in the international trading system. China manufactures an enormous range of items required the world over and is a hub for many global supply chains. There also many major Chinese companies that do business around the world.
If China was invaded, the impact on its economy would be enormous. This would then impact the global economy, as China is not only a major part of the worldwide economic system, but is also so key to many other economies. There would likely be a major economic crash around the world if China was invaded. This is a major reason why it will never happen.
6. China Would Resist Any Invasion
A further reason why China could never be invaded is because of the strong resistance China would have towards any attacking force.
Any nation that is attacked aims to resist the aggressor. No country wants to be occupied by another. This is very true of China. Any force that tried to invade China would face massive resistance, not only from the conventional Chinese military, but also from ordinary Chinese citizens who do not want a foreign power taking over their country.
The enormous scale of the resistance any invasion would likely face would deter any nation from trying to invade China. It would also make any invasion extremely costly, in both lives and financial resources, meaning that no country would ever undertake the task of trying to occupy China.
7. There Is No Incentive For A Country To Invade China
A final reason why China could never be invaded is because there is really no incentive for any nation to even try.
As we’ve covered, an invasion of China would be extremely difficult. It would require an enormous military force and involve a conflict the size of which the world has not seen in decades. Potentially hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of people would be killed. For any nation to try and invade China it would need have a reason so strong as to justify the cost an invasion would incur.
Essentially, there is no reason strong enough for any country to try and undertake an invasion of China. Even if countries such as the US, or of their allies in the Asia-Pacific region, went to war with China, they could almost certainly achieve their objectives without having to launch an actual invasion of the Chinese mainland. Therefore, it’s really inconceivable that we would ever see an invasion of China.