LiberalNation
05-25-2007, 11:10 PM
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070525/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_china;_ylt=ApA9iil9xM2IniH5hXAvX_QDW7oF
WASHINGTON - China is modernizing its military in ways that give it options for launching surprise attacks, potentially far from its borders, the Pentagon said Friday.
In an annual report to Congress, the Pentagon said the Chinese are acquiring better missiles, submarines and aircraft and should more fully explain the purpose of a military buildup that has led some to view China as a threat.
In a measured tone, the report offered a detailed look at China's military modernization. And it outlined areas of perceived ambiguity in Chinese strategy, including its declared policy of never starting a nuclear war; it concluded that Beijing may be exploring "new options" provided by its force modernization.
The Chinese Embassy did not immediately return messages Friday seeking comment. China has reacted angrily to previous Pentagon reports and has insisted that its multibillion-dollar military buildup is defensive.
Peter Rodman, who until this year was the Pentagon's top Asia policy official, said in an interview that senior Chinese officials have repeatedly assured U.S. defense officials that their "no first use" policy on nuclear weapons remains intact. Rodman, now a foreign studies fellow at the Brookings Institution, said one reason for doubt is the existence of a debate in military circles over the future of China's nuclear doctrine.
The Pentagon said China's short-term focus remains the Taiwan Straits, where it continues to position more short-range ballistic missiles. But more broadly, the People's Liberation Army is pursuing a strategy that appears designed to give China a capability to fight wars farther from its shores and to thwart any U.S. advances.
It asserted, for example, that last year the new DF-31 long-range nuclear missile became available for use in a military emergency, even though it apparently is not fully integrated into China's strategic nuclear force. It said the DF-31, which has enough range to reach Alaska but is not the main Chinese missile targeting the United States, is likely to become fully operational in the near future, if it has not already.
"The expanding military capabilities of China's armed forces are a major factor in changing East Asian military balances," the report said. "Improvements in China's strategic capabilities have ramifications far beyond the Asia Pacific region."
A prominent theme in the Pentagon report is a perceived lack of transparency in Chinese military activities and plans. As it has in the past, the Pentagon said China's true defense spending is two or three times the publicly announced defense budget, which this year was put at the equivalent of $45 billion. The Pentagon report said actual defense spending, including funds from sources other than the defense budget, is $85 billion to $125 billion.
In a section titled "Is China Developing a Preemptive Strategy?" the report cited the fact that the People's Liberation Army has been acquiring long-endurance submarines, unmanned combat aircraft, additional precision-guided air-to-ground missiles, and long-distance military communications systems.
Chinese military training that focuses on no-notice, long-range air strikes "could also indicate planning for preemptive military options in advance of regional crises," the report said.
Under China's stated policy of "active defense," it engages in war only to defend itself, although the report notes that the history of modern Chinese warfare includes cases, such as its intervention in the Korean War in 1950, in which Chinese leaders have claimed military preemption as an act of strategic defense.
"This logic suggests the potential for China to engage in military preemption, perhaps far from its borders, if the use of force protects or advances core interests, including territorial claims," the report said.
Attempting to capture the essence of China's strategy, the report quoted former supreme leader Deng Xiaoping's guidance, known as the 24-character maxim, which says in part, "hide our capacities and bide our time; be good at maintaining a low profile."
"It suggests both a short-term desire to play down China's capabilities and avoid confrontation, and a long-term strategy to build up China's power to maximize options for the future," the Pentagon report said.
Rodman said he believes there is reason for concern that China's long-range aim is to "revise the existing balance of power in the world, but they are patient and they are just doing this quietly; they think long term."
Rodman added that because U.S. officials are closely monitoring China's growing military strength and sophistication, "We can handle this, as part of our overall relationship, and we're not asleep at maintaining our own capability."
The Pentagon highlighted its concern about Beijing's anti-satellite test in which a missile was used to destroy one of China's old weather satellites in low-Earth polar orbit; the January test was China's first.
"The test put at risk the assets of all space-faring nations and posed dangers to human space flight due to the creation of an unprecedented amount of debris," the report said, adding that this is an important expansion of China's pursuit of weaponry and strategies that are designed to deny U.S. forces access to areas in Asia.
Rodman said the Bush administration knew in advance that China planned to conduct the January test but it chose not to address it with the Chinese because U.S. officials were convinced Beijing would go ahead with it regardless.
China has purchased UHF-band satellite communications jammers and is developing other technologies and concepts for weapons with anti-satellite missions, the report said. It also is improving its ability to identify and track satellites, "a prerequisite for effective, precise physical attacks," the report added.
The report was presented to Congress on Friday, just days before Defense Secretary Robert Gates travels to Singapore to address an international conference on Asian security issues, where China is likely to be a key topic.
WASHINGTON - China is modernizing its military in ways that give it options for launching surprise attacks, potentially far from its borders, the Pentagon said Friday.
In an annual report to Congress, the Pentagon said the Chinese are acquiring better missiles, submarines and aircraft and should more fully explain the purpose of a military buildup that has led some to view China as a threat.
In a measured tone, the report offered a detailed look at China's military modernization. And it outlined areas of perceived ambiguity in Chinese strategy, including its declared policy of never starting a nuclear war; it concluded that Beijing may be exploring "new options" provided by its force modernization.
The Chinese Embassy did not immediately return messages Friday seeking comment. China has reacted angrily to previous Pentagon reports and has insisted that its multibillion-dollar military buildup is defensive.
Peter Rodman, who until this year was the Pentagon's top Asia policy official, said in an interview that senior Chinese officials have repeatedly assured U.S. defense officials that their "no first use" policy on nuclear weapons remains intact. Rodman, now a foreign studies fellow at the Brookings Institution, said one reason for doubt is the existence of a debate in military circles over the future of China's nuclear doctrine.
The Pentagon said China's short-term focus remains the Taiwan Straits, where it continues to position more short-range ballistic missiles. But more broadly, the People's Liberation Army is pursuing a strategy that appears designed to give China a capability to fight wars farther from its shores and to thwart any U.S. advances.
It asserted, for example, that last year the new DF-31 long-range nuclear missile became available for use in a military emergency, even though it apparently is not fully integrated into China's strategic nuclear force. It said the DF-31, which has enough range to reach Alaska but is not the main Chinese missile targeting the United States, is likely to become fully operational in the near future, if it has not already.
"The expanding military capabilities of China's armed forces are a major factor in changing East Asian military balances," the report said. "Improvements in China's strategic capabilities have ramifications far beyond the Asia Pacific region."
A prominent theme in the Pentagon report is a perceived lack of transparency in Chinese military activities and plans. As it has in the past, the Pentagon said China's true defense spending is two or three times the publicly announced defense budget, which this year was put at the equivalent of $45 billion. The Pentagon report said actual defense spending, including funds from sources other than the defense budget, is $85 billion to $125 billion.
In a section titled "Is China Developing a Preemptive Strategy?" the report cited the fact that the People's Liberation Army has been acquiring long-endurance submarines, unmanned combat aircraft, additional precision-guided air-to-ground missiles, and long-distance military communications systems.
Chinese military training that focuses on no-notice, long-range air strikes "could also indicate planning for preemptive military options in advance of regional crises," the report said.
Under China's stated policy of "active defense," it engages in war only to defend itself, although the report notes that the history of modern Chinese warfare includes cases, such as its intervention in the Korean War in 1950, in which Chinese leaders have claimed military preemption as an act of strategic defense.
"This logic suggests the potential for China to engage in military preemption, perhaps far from its borders, if the use of force protects or advances core interests, including territorial claims," the report said.
Attempting to capture the essence of China's strategy, the report quoted former supreme leader Deng Xiaoping's guidance, known as the 24-character maxim, which says in part, "hide our capacities and bide our time; be good at maintaining a low profile."
"It suggests both a short-term desire to play down China's capabilities and avoid confrontation, and a long-term strategy to build up China's power to maximize options for the future," the Pentagon report said.
Rodman said he believes there is reason for concern that China's long-range aim is to "revise the existing balance of power in the world, but they are patient and they are just doing this quietly; they think long term."
Rodman added that because U.S. officials are closely monitoring China's growing military strength and sophistication, "We can handle this, as part of our overall relationship, and we're not asleep at maintaining our own capability."
The Pentagon highlighted its concern about Beijing's anti-satellite test in which a missile was used to destroy one of China's old weather satellites in low-Earth polar orbit; the January test was China's first.
"The test put at risk the assets of all space-faring nations and posed dangers to human space flight due to the creation of an unprecedented amount of debris," the report said, adding that this is an important expansion of China's pursuit of weaponry and strategies that are designed to deny U.S. forces access to areas in Asia.
Rodman said the Bush administration knew in advance that China planned to conduct the January test but it chose not to address it with the Chinese because U.S. officials were convinced Beijing would go ahead with it regardless.
China has purchased UHF-band satellite communications jammers and is developing other technologies and concepts for weapons with anti-satellite missions, the report said. It also is improving its ability to identify and track satellites, "a prerequisite for effective, precise physical attacks," the report added.
The report was presented to Congress on Friday, just days before Defense Secretary Robert Gates travels to Singapore to address an international conference on Asian security issues, where China is likely to be a key topic.