Congressional Report: Chance of Military Conflict with China Increasing

Not a surprise to me, but worth noting. And at least there's some attention being paid to China's progressively aggressive behavior.

From The Washington Free Beacon:

China’s decades-long buildup of strategic and conventional military forces is shifting the balance of power in Asia in Beijing’s favor and increasing the risk of a conflict, according to a forthcoming report by a congressional China commission. 

China’s military has greatly expanded its air and naval forces and is sharply increasing its missile forces, even while adopting a more hostile posture against the United States and regional allies in Asia, states a late draft of the annual report of the bipartisan U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. 

As a result, “the potential for security miscalculation in the region is rising,” the report said, using the euphemism for a conflict or shootout between Chinese forces and U.S. forces or those of its regional allies. 

The report paints an alarming picture of China’s growing aggressiveness and expanding power, including development of two new stealth jets, the first deployment of a naval expeditionary amphibious group to the Indian Ocean, and aerial bombing exercises held in Kazakhstan. 

China’s communist government also views the United States as its main adversary—despite strong trade and financial links between the two countries, the report says.

Yes, thank you for finally acknowledging that Beijing sees America as an adversary, if not enemy. They have had this view for decades. I guess we need to send Hilary Clinton over there with a big ol' red "Reset" button, huh?

Other key findings of the report include:

• Chinese President Xi Jinping has made China’s missile forces the “core strength” strategic deterrence.
• Chinese defense spending will continue to fund an acceleration of the military modernization for the next five years.
• A U.S. defense analyst said China’s efficient defense spending could render U.S. aircraft carriers difficult to defend. China could build 1,127 DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missiles for the cost of one U.S. aircraft carrier at $13.5 billion.
• China is using the estimated 235,000 Chinese students studying in the United States to conduct technology collection for the Beijing government.
• Joint ventures between Chinese and U.S. companies include a legal requirement for the Chinese firms to share technology with the Chinese military and intelligence services.

But hey, let's not worry about this. Russia is our good pal, Ebola will never come to America, the CDC hasn't been politicized to the point of mockery, we'll be able to keep our doctor/health insurance plan, ObamaCare will be super popular, and China will never be aggressive to ourselves or our allies in Asia. We have Obama's word on all of this.

That's enough. Right?