Pentagon releases report on Chinese military power
Today the Department of Defense released its annual assessment of Chinese military power. The U.S. Congress as well as the President have been briefed on the report which outlines technical and political changes in the overall Chinese military capabilities. The report concludes that the People’s Liberation Army is moving away from a massive force size aimed at gaining the upper hand in wars of attrition to a strategy of short-term, high tech engagements particularly at sea, on Chinese borders and in disputed territories.
One discovery in this year’s assessment is that the Chinese have been stepping up weapons development in order to fight in “informataized” situations or a circumstance where operations are inhibited by communications jamming, electronic surveillance and precision weapons. The report also found that the Chinese are developing capabilities to deal with joint operations or the ability to engage multiple force (air force, naval, etc) offensives.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia, David Sedney held a briefing for Pentagon reporters on the report. He said that the Chinese government has always protested the report and he expects that they will protest this year’s report as mischaracterizing Chinese intentions. But he said that the most difficult part of creating the report was to assess Chinese intention, because there is such a lack of transparency when it comes to investigating Chinese military assets.
He highlighted the realm of cyber military initiatives citing the report which said that cyber “intrusions’ of U.S. computer systems where sensitive, and possibly proprietary business information may have been breached through invasion could be linked to the People’s Liberation Army. He said that this is the newest challenge when it comes to responding to Chinese military tactics.
The military report affirmed that China has “the most active ballistic missile program in the world.” One of the missiles being developed is an anti-ship missile, fired from land and designed to intercept a ship, even one as large as an aircraft carrier at medium to long-range distances. The controversial 2007 launch of an anti-satellite missile was mentioned in the report as evidence of China’s space and couterspace military technology.
The report does note an uptick in Taiwan’s spending to 3 percent of GDP in 2008. The increase is also directed at increasing missile technology The report said that the United States remains helpful in providing information to Taiwan to continue developing self defense technology.
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March 3rd, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Click to see that the USA spends half of what the world does on defense. Look for China in the pic chart.
http://theiraqinsider.blogspot.com/2008/02/graph-us-military-spending-vs-world-in.html
March 3rd, 2008 at 10:12 pm
And Calvin, your information, if accurate, is relevant because???
March 4th, 2008 at 12:43 am
And Richard, the information is most likely accurate. It’s relevant because the US is the worlds biggest threat to world peace and freedom, it spends the most money of any nation on its military, and is complaining that another nation is catching up in spending. How hypocritical is that?
March 4th, 2008 at 1:48 am
Paul: Let’s assume that it’s accurate. But your sequence is flawed. Spending the most on defense does not equate with being the “world’s biggest threat to peace and freedom.” Only threats to peace and freedom become threats to peace and freedom. One can argue that Hamas, whose expenditures on Qassam rockets amount to fractions of breadcrumbs, are also threats to the world’s peace and freedom.
Moreover, so much of US spending is a function of maintenance, not of equipment but of little matters like sea lanes (there simply is no hyper-power left to do this.) which are critical for commerce. Should Iran be able to block the Hormuz Straits? (Through which so much of world oil supply passes? Should the Moluccan Straits be kept open? (Through which much of Asia’s oil and commerce ships through.) For other reasons, the Taiwanese Straits are also kept open and free, all three of which come courtesy of the US Navy.
Frankly, I would prefer a US hegemon to the Chinese variety any day of the week. Indeed, thanks to Chinese oil interests in the Sudan, the Darfur genocide will continue, with nary a peep from Human Rights Watch. (One could make the argument that organizations like HRW are really creatures of US hegemony, because without protection of a liberal west, HRW and their ilk would fare rather badly under Putin, Red China, or any Arab country you might choose.)
That US hegemony remains backed by the world’s most powerful military is excellent news, especially when considering the alternatives.
You need to lose the rose colored specs and take a good look-see at who our competitors for power are, and what that might mean to fellows like you.
April 17th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Interesting post but I have to agree with richard on this one. Look at this Military technology who knows who’s really buying those weapons…..