[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 25, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H4001-H4002]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  DOD REPORT ON CHINA'S MILITARY POWER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Forbes) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, today, the Department of Defense released 
its annual report to Congress on China's military power.
  The report released is an important reminder of why the Congressional 
China Caucus, the Congress and the American people should continue to 
monitor not only the expansion of China's military power but the way 
they exercise judgment in the use of it and other elements of national 
influence.
  China's continuing buildup of advanced cruise missiles that can 
target aircraft carriers and other ships, its 260-ship Navy as compared 
to our 283-ship Navy, and its continued arm shipments to unstable 
countries demonstrates a global focus rather than a regional one.
  Regrettably, over the past year, several incidents have threatened 
the strength of U.S.-Sino relations. In the last year, the FBI has 
stated that China has the most aggressive espionage program facing our 
Nation. U.S.

[[Page H4002]]

authorities continue to investigate whether PRC officials copied the 
contents of a government computer during a trip to China by the 
Secretary of Commerce, and just this month, Senator Nelson's office 
reported three separate instances of cyber attacks from China, which 
follow multiple instances last year.
  In addition, a routine Thanksgiving holiday port call by a U.S. 
aircraft carrier, the USS Kitty Hawk, to Hong Kong was inexplicably 
cancelled at the eleventh hour. Most recently, five Chinese vessels 
harassed an unarmed U.S. naval ship.
  Mr. Speaker, this House has refused to respond to that attack as yet. 
I am troubled at the prospect for miscalculation or unnecessary 
escalation of one of these situations if China does not act in a 
transparent and responsible manner that is expected of a rising global 
power.
  For that reason, I introduced H. Con. Res. 72 with Congressional 
China Caucus cochair Madeleine Bordallo, urging China to avoid 
necessary escalations that could harm U.S.-China relations and to 
condemn their attack on our unarmed U.S. naval ship, but so far, the 
leadership of the House has not found time to allow that resolution to 
come to the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, it bothers me that today, when China had a proposal for 
a new global currency to replace the dollar, that Secretary of Treasury 
Geithner said that he was open to the proposal and that White House 
economic adviser Austin Goolsbee declined to rule it out.
  Mr. Speaker, if we don't know our positions on these issues, we are 
inviting the Chinese to push us further and further. The future course 
in U.S.-China relations hinges on China's ability to provide the 
necessary transparency with regard to its military buildup and cyber 
warfare capabilities. Mr. Speaker, I hope that we will continue to push 
for that kind of transparency.

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