When you talk about "capable" it depends on what mission. The US holds an unparalleled advantage in force projection, but the PLA is completely adequate for China's current defense goals.
First of all my friend Im talking about general terms. Im aware that Chinese forces are improving their "capabilities" In general terms much faster than even the U.S. department of Defense expect but my point is regardless of that the U.S. Army until the sun of today have a better military. If your argument its than China have a nice military for their purpose... yes you're right... In my opinion China have a much better military than they really need.
But if today China and US engage in a war U.S. will sustain heavy losses (military analiyst from the pentagon expect to win against North Korea but will cost the lives of 90,000 US soldiers) My point is that China it's stronger than NK so obviously will inflict more damage than NK but even if they inflict the triple (360,000 of US soldiers) U.S will crush China's forces cause in the proces of killing thouse soldiers they will lose their soldiers. Thats my analysis of whats happen if US and China fight a conventional warfare. In the Sea... China it's modernizing their navy but U.S. Navy still better than the Chinese navy Chinese subs can cause few loses of US warships and maybe carriers but when they launch their ballistic missile they give away their position so a P-3 Orion will send the chinese Subs to meet their maker in the bottom of the sea . In the Air... I know than China manage to create an outstanding jetfighter the J-10 and buy some nice russian maded jetfigters but if we face the reallity most of the PLAAF are chinese versions of mig-19 farmers and mig-21 fishbed and the pilots train 140 to 150 hrs at year and lack of real combat experience (chek it out at
) The american pilots train over 300 hrs at year with updated enquipment and mush of them have combat experience. not to mention the chinese version for the mig-19 and mig-21 are no match for the f-15s (the backbone of the USAF) the j-10s and the SU-35s are better than the american F-15s but the F-22 Raptors will shoot them down cause far outperform any jetfighter in the planet and are "stealth". After that B-2 Spirits (invisible to radar and even to infrared sensors) cannot be locked by SAMs and can fly high enough to outrange the chinese AAA systems will bomb the heck out of the Chineses forces without a single lost. In the land warefare thats the most difficult to U.S. cause Chinese army it's a way larger than the US land forces but before they engage in combat as I say before the USAF will greatly reduce the PLA forces.
The remaining forces will be desoriented and hunger cause the USAF bombardment make them losse their supplies. The US troops better trained and enquiped and fresh to battle will anahilate the remaining PLA but unlike the USAF the SA Army and USMC will take some serious damage from the PLA but in the end thei will prevail cause they will have kill or (not very likely to capture chinese soldiers, they are very brave and they will fight to death. I admire the Chinese culture in that!) Chinese isurgency? That can be a good point thats the most hard part of that cause U.S. forces have to follow RoEs
But Chinese have honor and aren't terrorist and they are not coward to use human as shield like the talibans and iraqi isurgencies... Making that easier to US Forces to open fire and of cuorse kill them.