American lawmakers Wednesday expressed serious concern over
Chinese military build-up–a view shared by senior defense officials
of the Obama Administration–at a Congressional hearing, ahead of
the Quadrennial Defense Review’s recommendations about the
country’s security policy for Asia.
Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services
Committee, said he was concerned by the trends and ambiguities in
China’s military modernization, including its missile-build-up
across Taiwan and the steady increase of its power-projection
capabilities.
Noting that China’s transparency on defense matters was still
limited, he said that questions remained on that country’s
strategic intentions.
Skelton said China’s defense budget was maintaining a
double-digit, while supporting the American economy. Though Beijing
was not necessarily destined to be a threat to the U.S., he,
however, said there were trends and ambiguities that concerned
Washington.
He said Washington must work together with Beijing for resolving
conflicts and reducing tensions that contributed to global and
regional instability. These included the
de-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the Iranian nuclear
issue and the situation in South Asia.
Wallace Gregson, assistant defense secretary for Asian and
Pacific Security Affairs, testified that China appeared to have
benefited the most from the phenomenal growth of Asia.
“From India to Indonesia, China to Russia, and Australia to
Japan, millions have moved from poverty to prosperity. China’s
rapid development helps drive this extraordinary and dynamic
growth. In turn, China gains greatly from Asia’s growth,” he
said.
Gregson said China’s unprecedented and rapid rise as a regional,
political and economic power with growing global influence in a
dynamic environment, had significant implications for the
Asia-Pacific region, the United States and the world.
He also expressed concern over China’s continued lack of
openness and transparency in military affairs, a concern also
voiced by its neighbors.
Supporting Gregson’s view, Admiral Robert Willard,
commander-in-chief of the Hawaii-based U.S. Pacific Command, said
China’s interest in a peaceful and stable environment that would
support the country’s developmental goals was inconsistent with its
new military capabilities.
These capabilities, he added, appeared designed to challenge
American freedom of activity in the region, besides imposing
China’s influence over its neighbors, including Washington’s
regional allies and partners.
Adm. Willard said the claims of Chiness leaders that the
double-digit military spending and dramatic increases in its
capabilities, were defensive in nature and contributed to regional
stability, appeared incompatible with the extent of sophisticated
weaponry it was producing now.
The committee’s ranking Republican, Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon of
California, cited China’s unannounced test of its missile defense
system Monday as an example of his concerns about the “umbrella of
uncertainty” surrounding that Communist country’s future.
He said he would scrutinize the final Quadrennial Defense
Review, due out early next month, to ensure that China remained a
priority for the Pentagon’s strategic planners.
Expressing apprehension that the Obama administration would
downgrade the China threat to justify last year’s and future cuts
to key defense programs, McKeon said that such cuts would embolden
China to seek strategic parity with America.
One reason why US will continue to sell weapons to Taiwan, is
their bid to use the Republic to keep tabs on Mainland.
