| China’s
Military Capabilities Continue to Grow,
Report Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 25, 2009 –
Transformation of the Chinese military has gained
speed, but U.S. officials would like to see China
become more transparent about military and security
affairs, according to a report to Congress released
today. Video
The report, called
“Military Power of the People’s Republic
of China,” provides some new details, “but
there are no new, major strategic insights revealed
or capabilities revealed,” Pentagon Press
Secretary Geoff Morrell said today.
In the report, officials
said that Chinese transparency has improved over
the past year, “but much remains to be learned
about China’s national and military strategies,
progress and trends in its military modernization,
and the related implications for regional security
and stability.”
China’s increased
military ability stems from the nation’s emergence
as an economic superpower. With 8 percent per year
economic growth, the Chinese have been able to invest
significant sums in military modernization.
Morrell said the
United States continues to ask for “more dialogue
and transparency in our dealings with the Chinese
government and military, all in an effort to reduce
suspicions on both sides.”
The Chinese still
look at transparency as “a transaction to
be negotiated.” U.S. officials would like
the Chinese to see transparency as a responsibility
that accompanies the accumulation of national power.
Without this transparency, conclusions in the report
are subject to best guesses by U.S. experts.
To begin, the Chinese
need to be more transparent in budgeting, the report
says. The People’s Liberation Army budget
has more than doubled since 2000 -- from $27.9 billion
to $60.1 billion. Officials believe the Chinese
are underreporting the amount they spend on security.
The real budget in 2008 is probably between $105
billion and $150 billion, they said.
Llimited transparency
can be dangerous and lead to instability. Also,
the Chinese reluctance creates uncertainty and increases
the potential for misunderstanding and miscalculation,
U.S. officials say.
“The United
States continues to work with our allies and friends
in the region to monitor these developments and
adjust our policies accordingly,” the report
says.
Chinese military
capabilities have increased tremendously. People’s
Liberation Army officials have invested in the acquisition
of advanced foreign weapons, and they have fueled
hothouse growth in domestic defense industries.
The Chinese military also has poured money into
research and development. On top of this, there
is a far-reaching organizational and doctrinal reform
of the People’s Liberation Army.
“China’s
ability to sustain military power at a distance
remains limited, but its armed forces continue to
develop and field disruptive military technologies,
including those for anti-access/area-denial, as
well as for nuclear, space and cyber warfare, that
are changing regional military balances and that
have implications beyond the Asia-Pacific region,”
the report says.
China continues
to put military pressure on Taiwan. “China’s
armed forces are rapidly developing coercive capabilities
for the purpose of deterring Taiwan’s pursuit
of de jure independence,” the report says.
More advanced missiles, more equipment and better-trained
troops have deployed to the military regions opposite
the island. The military balance in the region continues
to shift in Beijing’s favor, the report says,
and Taiwan no longer enjoys “air dominance”
over the Taiwan Straits.
The capabilities
the Chinese are putting in place “could in
the future be used to pressure Taiwan toward a settlement
of the cross-Strait 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,” the report says.
Some of the Chinese
capabilities have allowed the military to contribute
to peacekeeping operations, humanitarian assistance,
disaster relief and counter-piracy. “However,
some of these capabilities, as well as other, more
disruptive ones, could allow China to project power
to ensure access to resources or enforce claims
to disputed territories,” the report says.
The Chinese assert
that the People’s Liberation Army is purely
defensive and aimed solely at protecting China’s
security and interests. “Over the past several
years, China has begun a new phase of military development
by beginning to articulate roles and missions for
the PLA that go beyond China’s immediate territorial
interests,” the report says. But these statements
have not cleared up international community questions
about the purposes and objectives of the PLA’s
evolving doctrine and capabilities.
China has modernized
its intercontinental ballistic missile arsenal with
the deployment of DF-31 and DF-31A missiles, the
report says. They also are readying to launch a
new class of ballistic missile submarines soon,
it says.
The Chinese military
has worked to develop anti-access and area-denial
weapons, the report says. This capability goes beyond
the nation’s borders. China has developed
the capability to hold surface ships, including
aircraft carriers, at risk. The weaponry includes
quiet submarines, advanced anti-ship cruise missiles,
wire-guided and wake-homing torpedoes, or anti-ship
ballistic missiles. They are working to deny use
of shore-based airfields, secure bastions and regional
logistics hubs via conventional ballistic missiles
with greater ranges and accuracy, and land-attack
cruise missiles, the report says.
The Chinese also
can project air power using new advanced aircraft,
advanced long-range surface-to-air missile systems,
air surveillance systems and ship-borne air defenses,
the report says. China’s space-based reconnaissance
and positioning are leading to a precision-strike
capability.
China still lags
in developing an amphibious and airborne capability,
airborne, air-to-air refueling, at-sea replenishment
and joint integration, the report says.
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