Pentagon: China's military power growing

mlurp · #1 (**permalink**) 08-16-2010, 06:18 PM

Hummm sooner than later... Our great thinkers/planners did see this but not till 2020 a short while ago...

Quote:

Pentagon: China's military power growing

By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer Anne Flaherty, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 40 mins ago.

WASHINGTON – 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.

But U.S. officials say the trend is disappointing because of the secrecy surrounding the moves, which make it difficult to gauge Beijing's intentions.

China has refused to meet with senior Pentagon officials this year, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who was rebuffed from traveling to China during a visit to Asia in June.

"It's been ambiguous over the past several months," a senior defense official said of how the Pentagon regards its relationship with China. The official, not authorized to speak publicly, spoke on condition of anonymity.

The report states that "the limited transparency in China's military and security affairs enhances uncertainty and increases the potential for misunderstanding and miscalculation."

China has been dismissive of U.S. accusations that the growth and modernization of its military poses a threat.

U.S. officials say China could do more to promote stability in its region and join Western nations in denouncing Iran and North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

"Beijing's answer has been sometimes yes and sometimes no," Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said earlier this year.

Among the findings in the Pentagon report is that China has as many as 1,150 short-range ballistic missiles and is acquiring an unknown number of medium-range missiles.

China also is developing artillery systems with the ability to strike across the Taiwan Strait, the report states.

___

Online:

Pentagon report: http://www.defense.gov/pubs/pdfs/2010_CMPR_Final.pdf

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And 802 comments........

Pentagon: China's military power growing - Yahoo! News

faithful_servant · #2 (**permalink**) 08-16-2010, 06:35 PM

China is in a very precarious position. The ony thing that's forestalled civil war has been keeping the malcontents busy working and that's starting to fade as China's unemployment rates rise. Western China is a powder-keg waiting to go off (the highest unemployemnt and rising ethnic stress between the local Muslims and the Han Chinese that the gov't is "relocating" there. If the Chinese leadership doesn't get a handle on this, they will be using a lot of this technology to kill their own people. People keep talking about the US collapsing, but I honestly think that China will go first. You're average man on the street in the West doesn't have a clue how bad things really are in China and if history bears out, the Chinese people most likely won't put up with the current status quo too much longer. IMO, they're prime for a 21st Century Mao Tse Tung, but this time it's going to be a capitalistic revolution and not a totalitarian in socialism clothing one.

jlarsen · #3 (**permalink**) 08-17-2010, 01:01 AM

I think it would be ludicrous if the second largest economic power in the world wasn't growing their military power.

Of course it makes me nervous, I don't want to have to learn to speak Chinese.

But can you blame them?

mlurp · #4 (**permalink**) 08-17-2010, 01:23 AM

Why is the question when they are in recovery to. And it caues others to spend on military items any way.

They just made it known our Carriers and it's battle group is defeat-able.

So them and friends are spending billion on warfare... Think there might be more to it than oh why not?

But like mine opinions are plentiful.

saltwn · #5 (**permalink**) 08-17-2010, 02:54 AM

Well we keep buyin their crap...

mlurp · #6 (**permalink**) 08-17-2010, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltwn

Well we keep buyin their crap...

And why is that salty? Hint... We don't build much anymore in the way of consumer items as we did after WWII.

And in the last 20+ years much less of everything... Yet our economy depends on 60% buying by the consumer... Seems to me we are hitting a

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