US report on PLA cites missile
By Christopher Bodeen |
August 18, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA is unlikely to ever satisfy America's demand for greater military transparency, and tensions between their armed forces will remain, Chinese scholars said yesterday.
They spoke after the publication of a Pentagon report this week that said China is pursuing its goal of becoming a major military power in a secretive manner that "increases the potential for misunderstanding" and conflict with other nations.
"Although China has steadily increased its military transparency over the past few years, it's impossible for China to reach the level that the US demands," said Shi Yinhong of Renmin University.
The report's release comes amid deep dissatisfaction in China over US-South Korea naval drills in the Yellow Sea.
In January, China suspended contacts with the US military as retaliation for a US$6.4 billion arms sale to Taiwan.
The combination of issues has led to an "unprecedented surge" in tensions, although the advantage the US has in military capability means the potential for actual conflict is low, said Zhu Feng of Peking University's School of International Studies.
"The Pentagon is fully aware that there's a huge gap between the two countries' military power. It is a joke to claim that China is going to attack American aircraft carriers," Zhu said.
The Pentagon report said China was developing a ballistic missile capable of attacking aircraft carriers more than 1,500 kilometers away. It did not indicate how close China was to mastering the technology involved.
While final testing of the missile is believed to be a year or two away, some experts say that it would take a decade more to attain accuracy.
The report also said China could start construction of its first aircraft carrier by the end of the year and had begun a program to train 50 pilots to operate fixed-wing aircraft from an aircraft carrier.
They spoke after the publication of a Pentagon report this week that said China is pursuing its goal of becoming a major military power in a secretive manner that "increases the potential for misunderstanding" and conflict with other nations.
"Although China has steadily increased its military transparency over the past few years, it's impossible for China to reach the level that the US demands," said Shi Yinhong of Renmin University.
The report's release comes amid deep dissatisfaction in China over US-South Korea naval drills in the Yellow Sea.
In January, China suspended contacts with the US military as retaliation for a US$6.4 billion arms sale to Taiwan.
The combination of issues has led to an "unprecedented surge" in tensions, although the advantage the US has in military capability means the potential for actual conflict is low, said Zhu Feng of Peking University's School of International Studies.
"The Pentagon is fully aware that there's a huge gap between the two countries' military power. It is a joke to claim that China is going to attack American aircraft carriers," Zhu said.
The Pentagon report said China was developing a ballistic missile capable of attacking aircraft carriers more than 1,500 kilometers away. It did not indicate how close China was to mastering the technology involved.
While final testing of the missile is believed to be a year or two away, some experts say that it would take a decade more to attain accuracy.
The report also said China could start construction of its first aircraft carrier by the end of the year and had begun a program to train 50 pilots to operate fixed-wing aircraft from an aircraft carrier.
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