Pentagon has released the report, which indicates that China is doubling its efforts to increase its global influence, while defence spending exceeded $190 billion in 2017. As BBC understood, China is ‘likely training for strikes’ against the US, according to the report released on Thursday.
Pentagon indicated in its recent report that China People Liberation Army (China PLA) has rapidly expanded its overwater bomber operating areas over the last three years. The PLA is definitely gaining experience in critical maritime regions and ‘likely training for strikes against US and allied targets,’ the report said. But the most worrying fact for the US is China’s increasing military capability, including defence spending estimated at $190bn, that is the third that of the USA.
In May, Pentagon withdrew an invitation to China to join a multinational naval exercise, two months later, the US is definitely concerned about China’s growing influence in the Pacific, where Washington still plays a major role.
Over the past year, while the PLA had continued to extend operations, it was not clear what message Beijing was seeking to send by carrying out the flights “beyond a demonstration of improved capabilities”, highlights Pentagon report.
The Chinese embassy in Washington hasn’t yet commented on the military exercises, however, this year, Chinese Air Force landed bombers on islands and reefs in the South China Sea as part of a training exercise in the disputed region.
While Washington and Beijing maintain a military-to-military relationship aimed at containing tensions, this has been tested in recent months, notably in May when the Pentagon withdrew an invitation to China to join a multinational naval exercise.
