China flexing naval might with buildup, report warns

WASHINGTON — A congressional advisory panel sounded a warning Wednesday about China’s military buildup, predicting Beijing could possess the largest fleet of modern submarine and combatant ships in the western Pacific by 2020.

The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission said China’s military modernization is altering the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region and challenging decades of U.S. pre-eminence.

The commission advises Congress on the national security implications of the relationship between the two world powers.

Its annual report also examined cyberintrusions from China, the trade and economic relationship with the U.S., and China’s global ties.

The main recommendation is that Congress fund shipbuilding and increase the Navy’s operational presence in the region in support of the Defense Department’s goal to base 60 per cent of its warships in the Asia-Pacific region by 2020, compared with about half now.

That’s a priority of the Obama administration’s diplomatic and military rebalance to Asia after a decade of war in Afghanistan and Iraq. But the commission notes “growing concern among U.S. allies and partners” that this shift won’t happen “due to declining defence budget and continuing security challenges elsewhere.”

The panel also recommended that the U.S. improve air and maritime capabilities of allies in the region.

Last year, the Chinese Foreign Ministry accused the commission of “indulging in Cold War mentality.” Beijing says it has no offensive intent.

The U.S. far outstrips China in military spending, but in Asia faces a greater burden in fielding forces far from its own shores.

Rep. Howard McKeon, a Republican and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, voiced concern that China’s military spending is rising while the U.S. military faces budget cuts.

“Its current pace of military modernization shows that Beijing is developing the ability to project power and influence further abroad,” McKeon told a committee hearing Wednesday examining the commission’s report.