China’s Military Scandal: Why a Taiwan Invasion Might Have Just Become Impossible

Unveil the shocking truth about China's military corruption! Dive deep into leaked reports exposing missile malfunctions, widespread graft, and the potential fallout on global geopolitics. Don't miss this eye-opening Warographics special!

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[alexoliver]

Slight correction: The phrase "Fill water" is a mistranslation. "Filled water" is a common Chinese phrase used to denote that a high quality item has been replaced with a lower quality item (Such as an expensive broth being replaced with tap water). Despite what Bloomberg states, the Chinese missiles were not literally "Filled with Water", but rather, the expensive rocket fuel used in the missiles were replaced with subpar fuel, with officials pocketing the difference. This means that Chinese missiles would still be able to fire & work as normal, but would not have enough range to go further than the Chinese coast. It also means that Chinese missiles might self-implode if they were ever launched.

[BB-ihbk]

The idea that someone can be so corrupt that Bloomberg takes notice of it is both terrifying and laughable.

[spookyghostwriter]

As a person of Chinese descent, this isn’t surprising at all. Comical levels of corruption has been a plague two centuries running. You had admirals breaking down warship guns for scrap metal, an empress looting the army funds for palace renovations, and the utter disarray of the Warlord era.

Yeah, not really that surprised here.

[rogofos]

in Russia we have a common saying:"strictness of laws is negated by the optionality of their enforcement"
I think it applies to Chinese corruption quite well, as death penalty for corruption in China is not unheard of, yet corruption persists nonetheless

[Frostnburn]

As a Taiwanese, I would say that it's never completely off the table for China invading Taiwan because that's their internal rhetoric for many years and someone will be crazy enough to launch one, even if it is doomed from the beginning.

So I would never agree with closer economic ties with China, because it opens door for them to conquer us economically, if they can't militarily take Taiwan then it's even more important that they don't take over economically, let them stay at an arms length and implode themselves over their Taiwan policy.

[azahel]

The one thing that makes me believe China's military is probably not that scary is how much they focus on choreography. They believe that acting like robots is a sign of efficiency, but in war things can get pretty unpredictable. Corruption, inflexibility and inexperience will severely limit the PLA in a real conflict, no matter how many aliexpress F35s they build.

[Weazel]

Another important lesson not touched upon is the reason for the missing fuel. If the troops are so insufficiently provided for in something as high profile as the rocket forces, how bad is it for guys in the field? I imagine supply issues are rampant throughout the Chinese military but aren’t really talked about.

[brianmulholland]

Before we get too confident that there won't be a war over Taiwan is growing less and less likely, let's remember that not all war decisions are made using game theory like risk/reward assessments. Sometimes a leader has a political faction critical to them holding power barking in their ear, and even if that war is ruinous in the long term, the leader has to do it anyway because the PERSONAL consequences would be disastrous and more immediate if they don't.

I think it's ALWAYS been the case that invading Taiwan would be an epically stupid move. Ukraine, China's economic downturn, the risk of long term economic sanctions and damage, and the fact that they're unlikely to be successful (according to nonclassified wargames) all tell the tale - China should NOT invade Taiwan.

But with alot of US advanced programs scheduled to bear fruit in the early 2030s, and their buildup, Winnie the Pooh may have hawks in his party who think it's 'now or never', and want to roll the dice. Perhaps hawks who have bought into their own propaganda, or believe the west is too weak/corrupt to stand up for Taiwan. Just because it's a stupid decision, doesn't mean it's a decision that can't be made.

That's why sticking with Ukraine and building up deterrence in the short term is so important. It needs to be obvious even to those hawks that the west will act, and they will lose.

[acmelka]

I worked on and off in China over the last 20 years. Corruption and the required lavish dinners were mandatory across the board in the early 2000's. By 2017 they were gone for most business as people were afraid of being charged with corruption. My colleagues mentioned 'except in the military '. When we were discussing it. Never gave it much thought.

[saldiven]

One correction: The people hand picked for the positions (who were subsequently sacked) weren't picked because they were seen as the "best and brightest" that the country had to offer. They were party members who had been given the appointments due to perceived loyalty to the people who made the appointment. The Chinese government is not a meritocracy.

[richardquintero]

Using missile fuel to cook hot pot you cannot be serious😂😂😂

[j.w.]

Widespread corruption in a centrally planned economy? I am SHOCKED and APPALLED

[appa]

To clarify: "filled with water" is a Chinese idiom meaning "cheaped out" or "cut corners" usually implying using substandard workmanship or parts. The missiles are not literally filled with water.

[gw]

I worked in China up until 2015 and the scale of corruption on all levels, even down to the people making the products, was unfathomable. The more important you were, the more exposed you are to corrupt personal gain, and the more likely you are to profit. This is a huge reason why Chinese products sold worldwide are just basically crap, and their military equipment is no different.

[advkow]

It's been oddly comforting to find all these dictatorships aren't as powerful militarily as they claimed.

[starhelmsilvercrest]

Perun touched on the Bloomberg report on his channel. He did a very good job explaining why some of the things reported should be taken with a pinch of salt.

[Ozraptor]

Reminds me of the Battle of the Yalu River (1894) when the Chinese fleet sortied to face the Japanese, only to find that most of the heavy shells were filled with cement and broken porcelain, while the gunpowder charges were from condemned batches well past their use-by date. Glad to see modern China keeping this proud military tradition alive.

[perceivedvelocity]

So, your telling me that the home of low quality knock off merchandise is riddled with corruption? That's shocking.

[Thetequilashooter]

My older brother has a few friends who work for “the government” with jobs that they’re not allowed to say exactly what they do. I do recall a discussion that I had with one of them around a year ago, and we were talking about China’s military. I brought up how much it’s improved over the years, and how I was concerned about going to war against it over Taiwan. He couldn’t get into specifics, but he calmly assured me that the US has nothing to worry about. And I haven’t. It was the most reassuring words he could have said. And after seeing how poorly Russia’s military is performing in Ukraine, I think the western countries can feel secure for quite a few decades to come.

[redneckgaijin]

The one thing I want to point out is this: if you looked at things rationally, and from a perspective of abilities to wage and maintain war, World War 1 should never have begun. But strong men in positions of absolute power do not make rational decisions; they make decisions based on the idea that they are unstoppable and above repercussions.