China increasing its military might.

• Position: Worldview - Brief Article

China will have the most powerful military in Asia in 10 to 15 years, creating the potential for regional conflict, according to a Pentagon report. While the U.S. is busy with Iraq and AI Qaeda, China quietly is boosting its military capabilities, with the short-term goal of reunifying Taiwan and the long-term aim of replacing America as the predominant military power on that continent.

The Pentagon's Annual Report on the Military Power of the People's Republic of China reveals that the country's annual military budget is expected to grow by 11.6% and, when the costs of weapons and research are included, will become the third-largest defense budget in the world. China also is increasing its importation of weapons, having purchased nearly $20,000,000,000 in arms from Russia in the last year; the nation is further pressuring the European Union to lift its 1989 ban on weapons imports.

Moreover, China has more than 500...