The U.S. Defense Department says China’s growing hard power is increasingly a threat to the United States, according to a new report released on Tuesday.
“China’s historic military buildup has made the U.S. homeland increasingly vulnerable,” the Pentagon said in its annual assessment of Chinese military power. “China maintains a large and growing arsenal of nuclear, maritime, conventional long-range strike, cyber, and space capabilities able to directly threaten Americans’ security,” it said.
The Pentagon said Beijing was focused on consolidating its strength around the so-called first island chain, a string of U.S.-allied territories Washington considers key to containing Chinese forces in wartime. “However, as Beijing continues to grow wealthier and more powerful, it is logical that its military power will also continue to grow towards a force capable of projecting power worldwide.”
This is in line with President Xi Jinping’s goal to complete the People’s Liberation Army’s transformation into a “world-class military” by 2049, the centennial of the Chinese Communist Party’s takeover of the country.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
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