Pentagon Lays Out Challenge Posed by China’s Growing Military Might

China’s rapidly growing military spending is paving the way for the country to expand its sphere of influence and challenge the U.S. across the globe, the Pentagon said, in a report laying out challenges facing America as it steps up involvement in Asia.

While U.S. military spending is in decline, China is spending billions of dollars to develop stealth fighters, cyberweaponry, armed drones and a growing naval fleet that has repeatedly squared off with its Asian neighbors, according to the Defense Department’s annual report to Congress.

Release of the report comes days after top Chinese and U.S. military officials clashed at an Asian security forum in Singapore. During the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit, a top Chinese official warned that U.S. actions in Asia were threatening to transform China into an adversary. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel accused China of taking “destabilizing, unilateral actions” against its neighbors in the region.

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Dion Nissenbaum, The Wall Street Journal via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1tOaoaa