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China May Build Aircraft Carrier To Sail With Nuclear Missile Subs

By Staff Writer | March 12, 2007

      China may procure an aircraft carrier to go with its military buildup of destroyers and four new types of submarines, cutting-edge aircraft and hundreds of missiles.

      Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) said China is becoming increasingly pugnacious, and refuses to disclose just what its vast militarization program involves.

      He responded to a report that China is on track to develop an aircraft carrier by 2010. “China’s unstated intentions continue to elicit rigorous examination by members of the Congressional China Caucus and other U.S. leaders with regard to their aggressive military modernization,” Forbes said.

      He noted that a Hong Kong newspaper “quoted a senior member of the [Chinese] military as saying that at current research and development levels, China will have the ability to build an aircraft carrier by 2010.”

      This is but one more example of China building its military muscle, Forbes noted.

      “This announcement rides on the coattails of China’s proposed 18 percent military budget increase,” Forbes observed.

      While Chinese military officials indicated the increased funding would be used to increase pay and benefits for soldiers, “China’s construction of aircraft carriers, development of nuclear missile submarines, and testing of anti-satellite weapons paints a different picture,” he said. “Persistent calls for transparency from China have seemingly gone unanswered.”

      He referred to China recently using a hit-to-kill missile to demolish one of its own aging weather satellites, creating a huge field of dangerous space debris about 500 miles up.

      That anti-satellite test raised concerns that China may be able to demolish U.S. military and commercial satellites and other space assets.