Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
There is no escaping the reality that military tension is a core feature of the U.S.-China relationship. In the past 30 years, China's military, the People's Liberation Army (PLA), pursued a rapid modernization plan, establishing itself as a near pure competitor of U.S. and its allied forces in the region. Why did the PLA grow so quickly, and how do U.S. and Chinese strategists navigate the new balance of power in the Asia-Pacific?
Our new series, Faultlines, examines the strategic differences between the United States and China. The two nations differ in how they see economic, military, cultural, and governance issues, but was this always the case? By examining the view from both sides of the faultline we can piece together how we got here and where we’re going next.
Olivia Skylar Mastro and Joel Wuthnow joined us in April and May 2025 (respectively) to unravel how the U.S. and Chinese militaries stack up against each other in Asia.
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NCUSCR fosters U.S.-China communication and exchange in support of productive bilateral relations and U.S. interests. Learn more: ncuscr.org/about.
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► Visit our website for the latest information on our upcoming events, programs, digital content, and more: ncuscr.org
► Support our mission to promote understanding and cooperation between the United States and China: secure.givelively.org/donate/ncuscr/promote-engagement
There is no escaping the reality that military tension is a core feature of the U.S.-China relationship. In the past 30 years, China's military, the People's Liberation Army (PLA), pursued a rapid modernization plan, establishing itself as a near pure competitor of U.S. and its allied forces in the region. Why did the PLA grow so quickly, and how do U.S. and Chinese strategists navigate the new balance of power in the Asia-Pacific?
Our new series, Faultlines, examines the strategic differences between the United States and China. The two nations differ in how they see economic, military, cultural, and governance issues, but was this always the case? By examining the view from both sides of the faultline we can piece together how we got here and where we’re going next.
Olivia Skylar Mastro and Joel Wuthnow joined us in April and May 2025 (respectively) to unravel how the U.S. and Chinese militaries stack up against each other in Asia.
_____________________________________________
NCUSCR fosters U.S.-China communication and exchange in support of productive bilateral relations and U.S. interests. Learn more: ncuscr.org/about.
► Subscribe to our channel: ncuscr.video/subscribe-youtube
► Check out the rest of our videos and podcasts here: ncuscr.org/media
► Follow @NCUSCR on Twitter: twitter.com/ncuscr
► Facebook: facebook.com/NCUSCR
► Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/ncuscr
► Instagram: instagram.com/ncuscr
► TikTok: tiktok.com/@ncuscr1966
► Weibo: weibo.com/ncuscr
► Visit our website for the latest information on our upcoming events, programs, digital content, and more: ncuscr.org
► Support our mission to promote understanding and cooperation between the United States and China: secure.givelively.org/donate/ncuscr/promote-engagement
