For some countries the main threat is changing and they require troops that are can move quickly. With its geographical location as a island country and its very strong Navy and Air Force and a policy not to deploy troops in other countries as limited by the treaty, I do feel the Type 90 is waste for them, a lighter one is enough to defend their main island and deter attacks in current political climate. With a goal to quickly deploy troops anywhere in the world, US is also exploring lighter tanks for their fast-response units against new threats, however heavy MBT like M1A2 are still very useful and they will add more TUSK upgrades to protect them better in urban environment. The current objective of PLAN is not to project power though, and it has so many land borders and disputes with other countries.
It is clear how easy to destory MBTs like T-72 with any modern anti-tank weapons, NATO KE rounds can easily double pentrate T-72 and in one case one KE round destoryed two T-72 in a line. M1A2, Lepord 2 A6, Type 90, Challenger 2, Merkava Mark IV are all great tanks that can protect themselves very well and destory enemy tanks. I think PLA needs a tank that can counter the attack of these tanks and withstand their 120mm KE rounds in long distance since PLA does not have air superiority against its potential opponents. Type 99's armor is not bad ATM and still have room for adding extra armor upgrades, however the main issue is the majority of tanks in PLA are just too vulnerable
The T-72s in Iraq don't have ERA, and many of them are export models produced in a factory in Iraq. Having said that, it appears this factory is making tanks again and the new Iraqi Army are equipping them once again. However, these tanks, old and new, don't have ERA packages.
In the Georgian war, the T-72s on both sides are equipped with ERA but apparently are still able to kill each other.
William, I don't think you need to defend yourself from tanks that takes a huge bit of trouble to get to the mainland and are mainly meant to defend their own homelands. If these tanks reach the Asian proper, the terrain makes it very inconvenient. Roads are too small, too narrow, and too weak to hold something over 60 tons, and the same can be said on the bridges. The countryside is full of rice paddies that will only make tanks sink. A lot of China are mountains and hills, and if you notice, the divisions prefer to mount the old, and still fairly light upgraded T-59s on them.
China's most likely tank opponent is still likely a upgraded T-72 or T-90---not the Japanese one, the Russian one. I think a ZTZ-99G or even a 96 or 96G would hold pretty well against a T-90 or improved T-72. The divisions getting the most modern tanks are those facing the north, not the east side, where the deserts make it convenient for massed cavalry tank warfare. That makes your most likely opponent the Russians or a former Soviet state. Having said that, current relations with the Russians are rosy, so there is not much of a political incentive to spend upgrading tanks. Your priorities should be in the planes and ships instead.
