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With sights set on extending its influence deep
into the Pacific and Indian oceans, the People's
Liberation Army is advancing across the board
commensurate with China's burgeoning economic
power, said Pentagon's annual report to Congress
on China's military Aug 17th.
"To improve regional deterrence, the PLA
has replaced older liquid-fuelled, nuclear capable
CSS-3 intermediate-range ballistic missiles with
more advanced and survivable solid-fuelled CSS-5
MRBMs and may be developing contingency plans
to move airborne troops into the region,"
the report said.
"China is currently investing in road development
along the Sino-Indian border primarily to facilitate
economic development in western China," it
said noting "improved roads would also support
PLA border defence operations.
The 83-page report, "Military and Security
Developments Involving the People's Republic of
China" noted "China has deepened its
ties with India through increased trade, high-level
dialogues, and an improved military-to-military
relationship."
"China and India agreed to boost trade from
$11.4 billion in 2007 to $40 billion in 2010,
and they have held several rounds of dialogue
over disputed territorial claims.
"Sino-Indian Defence ties were institutionalised
in 2007 with the establishment of an Annual Defence
Dialogue and by conducting three bilateral Defence
exercises since 2007."
"Nonetheless, Beijing remains concerned
with persistent disputes along China's shared
border with India and the strategic ramifications
of India's rising economic, political, and military
power," the Pentagon said.
"Despite increased political and economic
relations over the years between China and India,
tensions remain along their shared 4,057 km border,
most notably over Arunachal Pradesh, which China
asserts is part of Tibet and therefore of China,
and over the Askai Chin region at the western
end of the Tibetan Plateau," the report said.
(India regards Aksai Chin as part of Jammu and
Kashmir and has protested at its transfer to China
by Pakistan, whcih occupied part of the state
in 1948).
Suggesting that both India and China in 2009
stepped up efforts to assert their claims, the
report recalled "China tried to block a $2.9
billion loan to India from the Asian Development
Bank, claiming part of the loan would have been
used for water projects in Arunachal Pradesh (India's
northeastern state bordering China)."
"This represented the first time China sought
to influence this dispute (China lays claims to
Arunachal Pradesh) through a multilateral institution,"
it said.
Turning to China's cyberwarfare capabilities,
the report noted "In March 2009, Canadian
researchers uncovered an electronic spy network,
apparently based mainly in China, which had reportedly
infiltrated Indian and other nations' government
offices around the world. More than 1,300 computers
in 103 countries were identified."
The hacking included the computers of India
Strategic defence magazine.
Listing numerous areas in which China's military
is on the march, the report said China is developing
and fielding large numbers of advanced medium-range
ballistic and cruise missiles and deploying a
new class of nuclear-powered submarines equipped
with intercontinental ballistic missiles.
It is also pouring money into "increasingly
capable long-range air Defence systems, electronic
warfare and computer network attack capabilities,
advanced fighter aircraft, and counter-space systems."
China has "the most active land-based ballistic
and cruise missile programme in the world,"
the report said. Beijing "now possesses one
of the largest" forces of surface-to-air
missiles in the world, it added. And it has the
"largest force of principal combatants, submarines,
and amphibious warfare ships in Asia."
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