Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning
AFP: As China aims for 'world-class army', Asia starts to worry
Beijing (AFP) - Chinese President Xi Jinping's pledge to build a "world-class army" by 2050 is making his neighbours nervous, but analysts say Beijing's military ambitions do not constitute a strategic threat -- for now.
With purchases and construction of fighter jets, ships and hi-tech weaponry, China's military budget has grown steadily for 30 years, but remains three times smaller than that of the United States.
Now, Beijing wants to catch up.
"We should strive to fully transform the people's armed forces into a world-class military by the mid-21st century," Xi told 2,300 delegates of the Chinese Communist Party, which he heads and which controls the army.
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WNU Editor: China has border disputes with everyone of it neighbors .... it also has a history of using the military to assert its claims. It is this environment, coupled with China's willingness to use force .... that is making China's neighbor's nervous. Here is an easy prediction .... expect Asian countries to form alliances to counter China, as well as a corresponding increase in defense spending throughout the continent.
