Source: Washington Times

China is aggressively building up military forces to strike U.S. forces in the western Pacific and elsewhere as part of what the Pentagon calls an array of high-tech “anti-access” missiles, submarines and
warplanes in its latest annual report.

The report to Congress on China’s military power, released Monday, also warned that China’s military is extending its global military reach beyond a weapons buildup to wage regional war with Taiwan and the
United States. The report also questioned U.S.-China military exchanges,
noting that Beijing is using the visits and meetings for political
influence operations and intelligence gathering.

“China is fielding an array of conventionally armed ballistic missiles, ground- and air-launched land-attack cruise missiles, special operations forces, and cyberwarfare capabilities to hold targets at risk
throughout the region,” the report said.

• Click here to read the report (PDF)

Release of the assessment comes amid reports that China has surpassed Japan as the world’s second largest economy in terms of gross domestic product, highlighting Beijing’s expanding global power.

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