AP: China says military arsenal comparable with West

rlsrls08

China says military arsenal comparable with West
By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN (AP) –
5 hours ago
BEIJING — China's military now possesses most of the sophisticated weapon systems found in the arsenals of developed Western nations, the country's defense minister said in comments published Monday.
Many of China's systems, including the J-10 fighter jet, latest-generation tanks, navy destroyers, and cruise and intercontinental ballistic missiles, match or are close to matching the capabilities of those in the West, Liang Guanglie said in a rare interview posted on the ministry's Web site.
"This is an extraordinary achievements that speaks to the level of our military's modernization and the huge change in our country's technological strength," Liang said.
The minister's remarks come ahead of China's biggest military parade in a decade scheduled for the Oct. 1 National Day in Beijing. That event will showcase much of the country's most advanced equipment, the fruit of China's booming economy and nearly two decades of annual double digit percentage increases in the defense budget.
Liang said he believed the parade would "display the image of a mighty force, a civilized force, a victorious force."
Still, in its 2009 report on Beijing's military power, the Pentagon ranked Chinese defense technology below that of the United States — as it always has — but noted that the country's armed forces have improved their capacity to carry out operations away from its shores and deny other militaries access to its airspace and seas off its coast.
Defense industry reforms and arms imports "have enabled China to develop and produce advanced weapon systems such as missiles, fighter aircraft and warships," the report says.
The 2.3 million-member People's Liberation Army is the world's largest standing military and its modernization has been accompanied by gradual steps toward greater engagement with the outside world. Liang said China has contributed 13,000 troops to U.N. peace keeping operations along with three navy flotillas to join in anti-piracy patrols of the coast of Somalia.
Despite such moves, however, the PLA remains largely a closed shop and military ties with the United States and other nations are often hobbled by disputes over Taiwan and other political issues.
China's improved capabilities are also seen as emboldening the country's military and civilian leaders in using force to back up political and territorial claims. Chinese ships have repeatedly harassed U.S. Navy surveillance vessels collecting intelligence off China's southeastern coast, while Chinese submarines have aggressively pursued aircraft carrier battle groups.
And while relations with Taiwan have warmed in recent months, Beijing continues to add to the hundreds of missiles it has pointed at the self-governing island that China considers its own territory — to be unified with by force if need be.
Analysts say the odds of conflict with the U.S., Japan and other regional militaries is likely to increase as China further beefs up its arsenal.
China announced a 14.9 percent rise in military spending in its 2009 budget, to 480.6 billion yuan ($70.3 billion). Many observers say actual Chinese military spending is much higher.
The 225,000-sailor People's Liberation Army Navy already operates more submarines than any other Asian nation, with up to 10 nuclear-powered vessels and as many as 60 diesel-electric subs. It boasts almost 80 destroyers and frigates — more than a dozen of which have entered service since the 1990s — along with hundreds of smaller craft and support ships.
China's second-generation, nuclear-powered Jin and Shang class submarines are considered just a notch below cutting-edge U.S. and Russian craft. The diesel-electric Yuan class boasts a Chinese-developed air-independent propulsion system that allows it to remain submerged for weeks, while Chinese Luyang destroyers and Jiangkai missile frigates incorporate stealth features and a mix of latest-generation Chinese and Russian weapon systems.
Liang made no mention of an aircraft carrier or other systems that Beijing is believed to be pursuing. However, he said the military's goal is to achieve complete mechanization and computerization by 2020 and produce a fully modern force before mid-century.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hYxj3x4MNZykJ7QpBZPPu62haydwD9AROHSG0