Pentagon Reports On China's Military Expansion

The Pentagon has released a new report that details China's military build-up and its implications for Taiwan and the US.

"China's long-term, comprehensive transformation of its military forces is improving its capacity for force projection and anti-access/ area-denial," states the Pentagon's annual report on Chinese military power. Its ability to sustain such a move, however, remains limited, DoD notes.

"Consistent with a near term focus on preparing for Taiwan Strait contingencies, China continues to deploy many of its most advanced systems to the military regions … opposite Taiwan," according to the report, released Aug. 16.

Beijing's relationship with Taiwan is improving - but so is China's rapid military build-up.

"Cross-strait economic and cultural ties continued to make important progress in 2009. Despite these positive trends, China's military build-up opposite the island continued unabated," states the DoD report.

"The PLA is developing the capability to deter Taiwan independence or influence Taiwan to settle the dispute on Beijing's terms while simultaneously attempting to deter, delay, or deny any possible U.S. support for the island in case of conflict," according to the report. "The balance of cross-Strait military forces continues to shift in the mainland's favor."

As far as Washington and Beijing, the report stresses the importance of military-to-military relations. It also includes a quote from U.S. President Obama stating his belief that it is not "predestined" that America and China ever become adversaries.

By: Shelldrake

CONSOLIDATING THE TWO ARTICLES - great minds think alike, eh?

A military report on China says that its military power is growing, and many of the capabilities are out of sight.

China's drive to transform itself into a major military power is being pursued in a secretive manner that increases the potential for misunderstanding and military conflict with other nations, the Pentagon says in a new report.
The Defense Department's annual assessment, released Monday, says Beijing is upgrading its hefty arsenal of land-based missiles, modernizing its nuclear forces and expanding its fleet of attack submarines.
The effort comes as China has suspended military-to-military talks with the U.S., which could reassure the U.S. about the motives behind Beijing's military buildup.
U.S.-China relations have been particularly strained in recent months, as China rejected the results of an investigation blaming North Korea for the sinking of a South Korean warship. China's military buildup also is seen as a threat to the U.S. ability to defend Taiwan.
The congressionally mandated report doesn't contain any surprises. It's long been known that China — emerging as a world economic powerhouse — is pouring billions of dollars into offensive and defensive military capabilities to protect its regional interests.

The BBC's report includes other additional details.

China has 1,150 short-range ballistic missiles and an unknown number of medium-range missiles, the report says.
The billions of dollars in expenditure has been conducted largely out of the public eye, the report alleges.
"The limited transparency in China's military and security affairs enhances uncertainty and increases the potential for misunderstanding and miscalculation," it says.
Recent commentaries from the Chinese military establishment have complained about large-scale military exercises held by the US and South Korea.
They have spoken of an alleged policy of US "encirclement" that threatens China's core interests.
China has also criticised what it sees as unwarranted interference by the US in one of those core interests, China's claim to much of the South China Sea.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently told a regional summit in Vietnam that it supported non-Chinese claimants to the sea.

By: Brant