Numbers are definitely manipulated but China did surpas the west technologically. They have vast veriaty of manpower. They have combat ready soldiers, they have the tech but the most we hear here in the west about them in maybe some news they have drills somewhere far away and in generally no pleb cares if they do.

In the other hand if you think why they might not be combat ready, is because they don't make conflicts for their own benefits like the US does, with their imperialistic mindset sending US soldiers to death based on sick lies they feed to the public.

I'm not protecting CCP here but they got their shit together minding their own business while the west is yet another manipulative, lie baded devil hunger for never ending expansion not so much for the land but the system change, resources and control.