Comparing the Armed Forces of China and Taiwan

Bruno Venditti
2025-06-29 15:49:00
www.visualcapitalist.com

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.

Comparing the Armed Forces of China and Taiwan

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Key Takeaways

Mainland China has a significantly larger military force, with over four times the personnel and substantially more tanks, artillery, and aircraft than Taiwan.
Taiwan matches Mainland China in landing ships/transport docks and exceeds China in transport aircraft.

Tensions between China and Taiwan have led analysts to closely examine the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait. This infographic compares the military capabilities of both sides, highlighting key differences in personnel, ground forces, naval strength, and air power.

The data for this visualization comes from the U.S. Department of Defense. It shows the comparative size and capabilities of China’s and Taiwan’s armed forces, with a focus on assets that would be mobilized in a potential conflict scenario. Note that this graphic only shows China’s military equipment in the PLA’s Eastern and Southern Theaters.

Ground Forces: China’s Overwhelming Advantage

China’s army personnel total over 427,000 compared to Taiwan’s 104,000. It also fields more than twice the artillery. These disparities can be crucial in a cross-strait invasion scenario. In addition, China has spent decades modernizing its ground forces to project power regionally.

Category	Mainland China	Taiwan
Personnel	427,000	104,000
Tanks	1,000	800
Artillery pieces	2,300	1,100
Aircraft carriers	1	0
Destroyers	30	4
Frigates	36	22
Landing ships/transport docks	51	51
Submarines	39	4
Fighters	800	350
Bombers/Attack	300	0
Transport aircraft	40	50

China has also a major edge in naval capabilities, with 30 destroyers, 36 frigates, and 51 amphibious landing ships. Taiwan maintains parity in landing ships but lacks aircraft carriers. As CSIS reports, China’s navy is one of the largest in the world by ship count.

Air Superiority and Strategic Assets

China deploys 800 fighter jets and 300 bombers or attack aircraft, while Taiwan fields 350 fighters and no bombers. However, Taiwan has more transport aircraft. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the PLA Air Force is rapidly enhancing its reach and precision strike capabilities in contested zones.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

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