China has millions of surplus military aged males. When the next big shooting war happens that will make a huge difference because they can afford to take huge casualties that other nations cannot absorb. Numerical superiority is an often overlooked military tactic
That's one argument.
From a big picture standpoint.
Big pictures are made of small components.
Those "surplus military aged males" are all the only son, only child, of
millions of Chinese couples.
When they start getting slaughtered, there better be a dam good reason.
And it better be able to be passed off as defending the homeland.
And that's the real problem. Chinese parents have not stomach for war since they have no "back up" kids. The loose the one and their family line is extinguished, forever.
So, as pointed out, what do you think the parents et al can do about it? They believe whatever their media tells them to believe, the media isn't ever going to tell them all, or even much truth, they have no effective weapons or organization, the leaders, army, police have all the power. "No stomach for war" - well who does? Except the ones who don't have to actually fight.
They ain't gonna do squat, even if they want to They are an enslaved nation, and we are getting there ourselves. Maybe we are already, most people just don't know it. The elites do, tho.
War is a very good way to test weapons, lose population (easing economic stresses), stimulate the economy ( manufacturing weapons, etc),
and of course creating a crises to "unite the people" behind the government.
