A new U.S. intelligence report has named China as the strongest and most serious military threat to American national security. Published Tuesday, the analysis cites China's expanding cyber warfare capabilities, nuclear stockpile, and military technology development as key issues for the United States.
The report emphasizes that China constitutes a sustained cyber threat to U.S. government networks, private companies, and critical infrastructure. Further, Beijing's growing nuclear arsenal and sophisticated delivery systems—sufficient to produce apocalyptic destruction—pose a direct threat to the United States and its international military presence.
Based on the Annual Threat Assessment, a large part of China's military modernization plan is focused on creating counter-intervention capabilities aimed at disrupting U.S. and allied military activity in the Pacific specifically.
"President Xi Jinping and the People's Republic of China (PRC) aspire to realize 'the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation' by 2049. The PRC desires to enhance its influence and authority to have a greater impact on international affairs in its favor, receive more U.S. deference to its interests, and respond to challenges to its reputation, legitimacy, and military power on the mainland and overseas," the report adds.
The report chronicles China's wide-ranging missile program, comprising ballistic and cruise missiles deployable from land, sea, and air, with nuclear-powered submarines forming the central component of its armory. The report further postulates that China is in the process of developing intercontinental-range conventional missile systems, which, if brought online, would enable Beijing to hit targets within the U.S. mainland.
Prepared by the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), the annual report assesses threats to American national security around the world, offering policymakers, military commanders, and law enforcement officials essential intelligence to protect U.S. interests abroad.
The report also cautions that China uses multifaceted government-driven approaches, integrating military coercion, economic pressure, and influence operations to pursue its dominance without overt warfare. But in the case of a looming great war with the U.S., Beijing might use offensive cyber operations against American critical infrastructure and military capabilities. These attacks would seek to interfere with U.S. decision-making, induce societal instability, and impede military mobilization.
In addition, the report states that China is aggressively implementing a national plan to overtake the United States as the world's dominant power in artificial intelligence (AI) by 2030. The report states that China has stolen vast intellectual property—hundreds of gigabytes—from Asian, European, and North American companies, which is speeding up its technological advancements. As of 2021, as many as 80% of U.S. economic espionage cases were involving Chinese parties.
"Beijing will probably feel encouraged to employ malign influence more frequently in the years ahead, especially as it deploys AI to amplify its capabilities and avoid detection," the report cautions.
Moreover, the intelligence report is concerned with China's growing nuclear posture and its possible engagement in Chemical and Biological Warfare (CBW). It claims that Beijing has capabilities pertaining to CBW, which are a threat to U.S. forces, allies, and civilian populations.
The report's conclusions highlight the imperative necessity for a robust intelligence response to counter these changing threats, as China continues to develop its military, cyber, and strategic presence globally.
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