Pentagon voices alarm over China's military build up - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

In its annual report to the US Congress on China's military capabilities, the Pentagon has voiced alarm over that country's military build up, saying it could eventually pose a challenge to American dominance in the western Pacific region. China's advances in electronic warfare were also a matter of concern, the Pentagon said, adding Washington has been the target of cyber intrusions originating in China. "These intrusions focused on infiltrating information, some of which could be of strategic or military utility," The Wall Street Journal quoted Pentagon, as saying. Though both countries are increasingly interlinked economically, ties between the U.S. military and the People's Liberation Army of China have deteriorated since January, when the Obama administration notified Congress of a plan to sell Taiwan up to 6.4 billion dollars in arms. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has appealed to China to re-engage to reduce the risk of military miscommunication, but American officials say they have seen few signs of a thaw. The United States is concerned about China's developing an anti-ship ballistic missile with a projected range of nearly 1,000 miles. The missile is meant to give the People's Liberation Army (PLA) the capability of attacking ships, including aircraft carriers, in the western Pacific. Some experts say the missile could herald the end of U.S. naval domination, while other believe the PLA is yet to conduct any realistic tests of the conventionally armed ballistic missile and has no reliable way of targeting U.S. carrier task forces.