Comparison between Chinese and Indian military might

As the two biggest militaries and the nuclear nations in Asia -- India and China – are engaged in military faceoff along the border, the military strength of both countries has come into focus.

The armies of both countries saw a bloody clash recently leaving 20 Indian soldiers including a commanding officer dead.

China seems to have an edge over India, in terms of the number of ground forces and military arsenal, according to Global Fire Power, an online portal that provides analytical data of military power.

A comparison of both countries shows that China has an annual defense budget of $179 billion in comparison to India’s just under $67 billion.

As far as economies of two countries are concerned, China accounts for $14.14 trillion nominal gross domestic product (GDP) while India has $2.94 trillion nominal GDP, according to figures available with the BRICS, an association of five major emerging national economies.

However, a study by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School said that India has key under-appreciated conventional advantages that reduce its vulnerability to Chinese threats and attacks.

According to the recent data by the Swedish think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China possesses 320 nuclear warheads. India owns 150 nuclear arsenals.

According to the Chinese Defense White Paper, it has two types of nuclear-powered attack submarines in service, having second nuclear strike capability. India has also built second-strike capability recently with the commissioning of indigenous Arihant-class nuclear submarine. New Delhi has also taken a nuclear-powered submarine INS Chakra on a 10-year lease from Russia.