http://www.washtimes.com/national/default-2000623222038.htm
By Bill Gertz
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
<<...OLE_Obj...>>
China is building up military forces in preparation for a possible conflict
with the United States over Taiwan involving high-technology warfare,
according to a Pentagon report obtained by The Washington Times.
The unclassified version of the annual report to Congress states that "a
cross-strait conflict between China and Taiwan involving the United States
has emerged as the dominant scenario guiding [People's Liberation Army]
force planning, military training and war preparation."
The report states that Chinese military leaders are considering a major
escalation of its military building as a result of NATO's air war against
Yugoslavia.
And as a result of the U.S. bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, the
report says, China is discussing ways to "offset U.S. power, to include
accelerating military modernization, pursuing strategic cooperation with
Russia, and increasing China's proliferation activities abroad."
"China's resolve to employ military force . . . should not be discounted,"
the report says.
As for U.S. involvement in defending Taiwan, the report said, China "would
employ all means necessary in the hope of inflicting high casualties and
weakening the intervening party's resolve."
The report is expected to play a major role in the Pentagon's upcoming
Quadrennial Defense Review to begin next year.
The review in the past has pitted defense planners who have sought to play
down the threat from China against other officials who contend the United
States must prepare now to deal with China's growing military power.
The report states that China is seeking to become "the dominant power in
Asia."
The report outlines China's development of new weapons and high technology
including information warfare, laser and anti-satellite weapons, and new
missiles, ships and aircraft.
Opposite Taiwan, Chinese missile forces pose a growing danger to the region,
the report says.
The Chinese military is acquiring an array of weapons that could be used in
a "pre-emptive strike" against Taiwan, including long-range cruise missiles,
air-launched bombs and short-range ballistic missiles, the report says.
The report states that Beijing's missile force will "grow substantially"
with new missile facilities being built opposite Taiwan. The new bases mean
China could attack the island "with little or no warning."
"Should China decide to attack Taiwan, Beijing's goal would be to erode
Taipei's will to fight with sufficient alacrity to avoid escalation of the
conflict and potential third party intervention in the hope of forcing a
political resolution in Beijing's favor," the report says.
The Chinese military currently has a limited capability to conduct
operations involving naval, air and missile strikes, which could benefit
Taiwan's ability to survive an initial attack, the report says.
"A PLA amphibious invasion of Taiwan probably would be preceded by a naval
blockade, air assaults and missile attacks on Taiwan," the report says.
"Airborne, airmobile and special operations forces likely would conduct
simultaneous attacks to the rear of Taiwan's coastal defenses to seize a
port, preferably in close proximity to an airfield."
The report projects that China's military advantage over Taiwan could
continue to grow in the 2010-to-2020 time period.
The report makes little mention of the heightened tensions between China and
Taiwan after a dispute over Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui's July 1999
statements about relations with China.
"During the summer," the report says, "PLA ground, naval air and strategic
rocket forces reportedly conducted exercises that . . . probably were
tailored to intimidate Taiwan.".
The report states that for the first time China used its new Russian-made
Su-27 fighter bombers as a "show of force" in the Taiwan Strait.
U.S. officials who have seen the classified version of the report say the
public version appears to have been modified to play down the more ominous
elements of Chinese military activities, such as Beijing's recent threats
against the United States and Taiwan.
Chinese military writings recently warned that China is prepared to use
nuclear weapons against the United States if it intervenes in a conflict
between China and Taiwan.
China's government issued a report last year that gave a new condition for
the use of force against the island. Beijing will use military force to
reunite the island if it fails to negotiate reunification, the Chinese
"white paper" states.
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