In his presentation at the June 1-3 annual Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore, Defense Secretary Robert Gates appeared much more sanguine about the possibilities of establishing a constructive Sino-American military relationship than his own Defense Department. A few days earlier, DOD had released the latest version of its annual publication, "Military Power of the People's Republic of China 2007" (pdf file). The report's content is replete with warnings about China's growing military capabilities, something Gates downplayed at Singapore. As directed by Congress, the report focused on the potential threat posed by China to Taiwan. Its authors warn that China continues to enhance its military capabilities in the region of the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese military has annually deployed 100 additional short-range ballistic missiles in the region for the past few years and now has almost 1,000 missile launchers within range of Taiwan. In addition, China keeps approximately 400,000 regular troops in Taiwan's vicinity. The report warns that the Taiwanese government has created a serious danger by allowing its defense spending to decline (on an inflation-adjusted basis) during the past decade. The Pentagon study also describes the increasing range of sophisticated "disruptive" military technologies that Beijing could use to attempt to deny the U.S. military access to regions near China, such as Taiwan. These anti-access weapons include China's improving anti-satellite and cyberwar ("information blockade") capabilities. These "Assassin's Mace" programs aim to exploit possible adversary vulnerabilities, such as American dependence on information technologies, through asymmetric strategies.
As Pentagon Report Warns of Chinese Military Might, Gates Emphasizes Cooperation
