China increasing its military might

China will have the most powerful military in Asia in 10 to 15 years, creating the potential for regional conflict, according to a Pentagon report. While the U.S. is busy with Iraq and AI Qaeda, China quietly is boosting its military capabilities, with the short-term goal of reunifying Taiwan and the long-term aim of replacing America as the predominant military power on that continent.

The Pentagon's Annual Report on the Military Power of the People's Republic of China reveals that the country's annual military budget is expected to grow by 11.6% and, when the costs of weapons and research are included, will become the third-largest defense budget in the world. China also is increasing its importation of weapons, having purchased nearly $20,000,000,000 in arms from Russia in the last year; the nation is further pressuring the European Union to lift its 1989 ban on weapons imports.

Moreover, China has more than 500 short-range ballistic missiles, with that number growing by an estimated 75 missiles per year--most of them aimed at Taiwan. In addition, China is looking to its space program to develop reconnaissance satellites and anti-satellite lasers capable of knocking out communications.

Countries in the region will need to change the way they respond to China, the Pentagon insists. Japan, for example, currently is considering modifying its peace constitution, which has limited its military options. The U.S. will need to affirm to the People's Republic that it is committed to Taiwan's future through peaceful means (as required by U.S. law), while the European Union should continue its ban on the sale of arms to China.

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