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China Approaches Parity With US Military in All Domains - PACOM Chief

© REUTERS / Yuri GripasThe Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, Admiral Harry Harris, testifies before a House Armed Services Committee hearing on "Military Assessment of the Security Challenges in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region" on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S, April 26, 2017
The Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, Admiral Harry Harris, testifies before a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Military Assessment of the Security Challenges in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S, April 26, 2017 - Sputnik International
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – China’s military buildup is approaching near parity with the United States on the land, sea, air and in cyber warfare, US Pacific Command (PACOM) commander Admiral Harry Harris told Congress on Wednesday.

"China’s impressive military buildup could soon challenge the United States across almost every domain," commander Admiral Harris said in testimony before the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee.

Key advancements include "fielding significant improvements in missile systems, developing fifth generation fighter aircraft capabilities, and growing the size and capability of the Chinese navy," Harris said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang pauses during a daily briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Beijing, Monday, Sept. 4, 2017 - Sputnik International
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It was Harris who described it as China's "great wall of sand". The Chinese regime was "provocative and expansionist", he told the US Congress.

China is also investing in the next wave of military technologies, including hypersonic missiles, advanced space, and cyber capabilities, and artificial intelligence, according to Harris.

"In addition, China’s built up reclaimed islands in the South China Sea in the past year, with aircraft hangers, military barracks and extended runways to the point where China has seven operational bases in the busy international shipping waterway", Harris said.

If the US military does not keep pace, PACOM will struggle to compete with the People’s Liberation Army as China seeks to supplant the United States as a security partner of choice for countries throughout the Indo-Pacific region, he noted.

READ MORE: US Imposes Duties on Chinese Cast Iron Pipes to Shield American Producers

The head of the US Pacific Command is a four-star admiral, the highest rank possible in the American Navy in peacetime. If he's confirmed by the US Senate, he would become the first four-star to take up residence in Australia since General Douglas MacArthur.

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