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Pentagon says Chinese aircraft carriers, 6th-generation fighters make US ‘vulnerable’
Report adds that Americans’ security is threatened by Beijing’s development of its ‘historic military build-up’, including nuclear arsenal
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A Pentagon report contends that China’s development of its aircraft carriers, sixth-generation fighters and nuclear arsenal illustrates Beijing’s “historic” growth in military power and has left the US “increasingly vulnerable”.
The annual report, to be submitted to the US Congress, also stated that Washington was not pursuing a forceful strategy towards Beijing.
“We do not seek to strangle, dominate or humiliate China … We seek only to deny the ability of any country in the Indo-Pacific to dominate us or our allies,” the 100-page report released on Tuesday said.
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“China’s historic military build-up has made the US homeland increasingly vulnerable,” it added, citing Beijing’s growing arsenal of nuclear, maritime and conventional long-range strike, cyber and space capabilities “able to directly threaten Americans’ security”.
The report said the PLA Navy sought to produce six aircraft carriers by 2035, bringing the total count from three to nine, exceeding observers’ previous estimates.
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The projection came a month after China’s most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, entered service. With the Fujian, China became the second country after the US to operate an aircraft carrier with electromagnetic catapults.
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