Post date: May 06, 2013 8:40:21 PM
The Pentagon says China's military continues to explore roles of military operations in cyberspace as a "feature of modern warfare."
WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (MAY 6, 2013) (RESTRICTED POOL) - China is using state-sponsored industrial espionage to acquire the technology it needs to forge ahead with a fast-paced military modernization program and cut its reliance on foreign arms makers, the Pentagon said in a new report on Monday (May 6) .
"China's military continues to explore the roles of military operations in cyberspace as a feature of modern warfare and continues to develop doctrine training and exercises which emphasize information technology and operations," David Helvey, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia told reporters on Monday.The department, in its 83-page annual report to Congress on Chinese military developments, said Beijing's publicly announced defense spending grew at an inflation-adjusted pace of nearly 10 percent annually over the past decade, but its actual outlays could be much higher.
"In 2012, numerous computer systems around the world, including those owned by the United States government, continued to be targeted for intrusions, some of which appear to be attributable directly to PRC government and military organizations," Helvey added.
China announced a 10.7 percent increase in military spending to $114 billion in March, the Pentagon report said. But it estimated that China's actual spending for 2012 could range between $135 billion and $215 billion. U.S. defense spending is more than double that at over $500 billion.
On the ongoing South China Sea dispute, Helvey told reporters the report highlighted "China's increased assertiveness with respect to its maritime territorial claims."
Helvey encouraged all parties involved "to address their issues peacefully through diplomatic means or channels in a manner consistent with international law."