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Z,
An arms race was inevitable. The PLA branches need modernization unless they were going to keep WWII era weapons. A country like the size of China and a force the size of the PLA needs lots and lots of new weapons just to maintain its defensive needs. However, individually, each country it faces sees an overwhelming threat.
The state actors have accursed the PLAN with cohorting with pirates. Yet, they have not explained that this gave them the excuse to confiscate Chinese vessels and arrest Chinese nationals as well as taking their stocks. What rational is there for the Chinese to continue to allow this to happen?
While Beijing has internal problems galore, they still have to deal with their external problems and the primary function of any state is to defend itself.
I have not gone into explaining Chinese strategy vis-a-vi the current environment. Mainly because that this is a CCP action, not a PLA one and that is a whole another can of worms filled with "And a miracle happens here" explanations. Kissinger once asked Zhou En-Lai what did he think of the French Revolution. Zhou replied that it was too early to tell. I think that it's a cop out answer but most Asians took the view that it's a legitimate answer.
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Chimo
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