China deploys CCS-5 missiles on India border
PTI | Washington
China has moved new advanced longer range CSS-5 missiles close to the borders with India and developed contingency plans to shift airborne forces at short notice to the
region, according to Pentagon.
Despite increased political and economic relationship between India and China, the Pentagon in a report to the US Congress said, tensions remain along the Sino-India borders with rising instances of border violation and aggressive border patrolling by Chinese soldiers.
However, a senior Defense Department official told reporters that the US has not observed any anomalous increase in military capabilities along the Sino-India border.
Noting that China continues to maintain its position on what its territorial claim is, the official said, the two capitals – Beijing and New Delhi - have been able to manage this dispute, in a way, using confidence-building measures and diplomatic mechanisms to be able to maintain relative stability in that border area.
"But it's something that China continues to watch; but I wouldn't say that there's anything in this report that demonstrates a spike or an anomalous increase in military capabilities along the border.
"It's something that China's paying very careful attention to. It's obviously something that India is paying careful attention to as well," the Senior Defense Department official said.
In its annual report, the US Defence department said, to improve regional deterrence, the PLA has replaced older liquid-fueled, nuclear capable CCS-3 intermediate range missiles with more advanced and survivable fueled CSS-5 MRBMs.
"China is currently engaged in massive road and rail infrastructure development along the Sino-India border primarily to facilitate economic development in western China: improved roads also support PLA operations," the Pentagon said.
The report presented to the Congress 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 as part of Tibet and therefore of China, and over the Aksai Chin region at the western
end of the Tibetan Plateau.
"Both countries, in 2009, stepped up efforts to assert their claims. China tried to block a USD 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. This represented
the first time China sought to influence this dispute through a multilateral institution," the Pentagon said.
The report said: "The then governor of Arunachal Pradesh announced that India would deploy more troops and fighter jets to the area. An Indian academic also noted that, in 2008, the Indian Army had recorded 270 border violations and nearly 2,300 cases of 'aggressive border patrolling' by Chinese soldiers".
China refers to its intervention in the Korean War (1950-1953) as the "War to Resist the United States and Aid Korea." Similarly, authoritative texts refer to border conflicts against India (1962), the Soviet Union (1969), and Vietnam (1979) as "Self-Defense Counter Attacks," the Pentagon report said.
The Pentagon said 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
China wary of India's rise: Pentagon
IANS | Washington
China remains concerned about strategic ramifications of India's rising economic, political, and military power even as it quickly modernises its own military, according to a new US defence department report.
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 Monday.
"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.
Suggesting both countries 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."
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."
Assessment details worrying military ambitions of China
PTI | Washington
China is pursuing a major military build up in a "secretive manner" developing survivable nuclear delivery system, a 1,500 km range anti-ship missile to hit aircraft carriers and has the most active land based ballistic and cruise missile programme in the world, Pentagon has said.
Beijing is acquiring 'capabilities' to strike from a distance, warned the US Defence department, saying these moves, "increases the potential of misunderstanding" and military conflict with other nations.
In worrying new assessment, Pentagon said Beijing had developed missiles capable of striking targets in space and is also expanding its fleet of conventional and nuclear submarines to give it forces global reach.
The annual Congressional-mandated report by the Pentagon expressed concern about the lack of transparency from China into the force projection and anti-access, area denial capabilities it is acquiring.
In 2009 alone, the Pentagon said China's military-related spending was USD 150 billion. While some of the increasing Chinese capabilities have been put to positive use, like humanitarian and anti-piracy efforts, the report says, China's continued effort to be able to sustain military operations far from its shore was a cause of concern
to the US military.
But, it said China had still limited ability to sustain military power at a distance. "They are fast catching up", the report said, by developing an anti-ship ballistic missile that has a range in excess of 1,500 kilometres, which is intended to provide the PLA
with the capability to attack ships, including aircraft carriers in the Western Pacific.
According to the report, "China has the most active land-based ballistic and cruise missile program in the world. It is developing and testing several new classes of offensive missiles, qualitatively upgrading certain missile systems and developing methods to counter ballistic missile defenses," a Pentagon official told reporters.
China's active ballistic and cruise missile development programme also extends over into the area of its nuclear force modernisation, where China appears to be focusing on developing more survivable delivery systems, he said.
"Turning to the maritime realm, the PLA navy has the largest force of principal combatant submarines and amphibious warfare ships in Asia. China continues to invest heavily in undersea warfare with a mixture of nuclear-powered submarines and conventionally-powered diesel electric boats.
This is complemented by investment in new surface combatants designed to improve the PLA navy' capability and capacity for anti-surface and anti-air warfare," the official said.
"In the South China Sea, China's primary interests are related to securing its extensive sovereignty claims and exploiting natural resources. A stronger military presence in the region would also position it for force projection, blockade and surveillance operations
to influence critical sea lanes," the official said.
"China's investment in advanced electronic warfare systems, counterspace weapons and computer network operations reflect the emphasis and priority China's leaders place on building capability in these areas," the senior Defense official said.
"China still has much work to do to translate its aspirations into operational capabilities, but we note that China is in fact working to translate those aspirations into operational capabilities," the official said.
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