In light of the all-round expansion of Chinese military capabilities, as outlined in the report, the administration of US President Barack Obama needs to maintain the credibility of its own presence in the Western Pacific. However, it should also be prepared to sell Taiwan the equipment it needs to defend itself — including the F-16C/Ds it has long requested and additional C4ISR-related systems, so that the Taiwanese military can maintain situational awareness over the sea and skies.
The Department of Defense’s annual report on the PLA is made absolutely necessary by the opacity of China’s military budget and planning, and will continue to be so as long as Beijing remains unforthcoming, regardless of strong opposition.
However, Chinese opposition and deft diplomacy could still work to erode the report’s value over time. Anyone concerned with the rise of the Chinese military should keep an eye out for changes in the 1999 law authorizing the report. Subtle revisions there could open the way for substantial changes in the content of the report.
In the meantime, more information for the public discourse is to be lauded. A preliminary US Defense Intelligence Agency assessment from earlier this year points to glaring weaknesses in Taiwan’s air defenses. A full report along the lines requested in the original Senate-passed Defense Authorization Bill and further articulated by supporters of that amendment should be completed as soon as possible and forwarded to Congress in both classified and unclassified form.
Dean Cheng is a research fellow in Chinese political and security affairs in the Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center.
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