China Watch

One lawmaker is using China's increased military buildup as a pretext for not cutting any more funds to the Defense Department. Citing the latest "U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission Report To Congress," Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA) says in a statement:

"This year's U.S.-China Commission report to Congress further confirms that China is strategically positioning itself to militarily and economically challenge U.S. influence and capabilities in the Asia Pacific.  China remains steadfast in its commitment to build up the Chinese military, increasing its defense budget to bolster regional dominance and intimidate its neighbors.  In addition, the report makes it abundantly clear that China is actively seeking to exploit the United States' military vulnerabilities as the U.S. government fails to stop the theft and voluntary forfeiture of American technology to Chinese state-owned companies.

"And while China is building aircraft carriers, stealing American technology, and actively seeking 'space supremacy,' Congress is busy dismantling the United States military with arbitrary budget cuts that could total a trillion dollars, diminishing its Navy to World War I levels, and effectively forfeiting U.S. leadership in space.  Those eager to gut the defense budget ought to think twice before ceding U.S. regional influence in the Pacific to an authoritarian nation that violates basic human rights, flagrantly disregards the very notion of intellectual property, and routinely disregards the sovereignty of other nations," said Forbes.