Five Republican senators sent the secretary of defense a letter Friday July 23 demanding that Gates submit to Congress the annual report on China's military capabilities. That report, mandated under a 2000 law, was due on March 1.
In the letter, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tx.) Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Sen. James E. Risch (R-Idaho), Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Sen. James Inhofe (R-Ok.) express concern that political concerns are getting in the way of the report's release.
The annual report on the Military Power of the People's Republic of China has been late before and it's been the source of wrangling as well as agencies and personalities within the government debate about China's capabilities and doctrine. Tardiness has ranged from a few days in 2008 to a July 31 release date in 2003 -- the latest so far.
China is in the midst of significant military modernization that is causing concern and even alarm among the U.S. military. Of particular note is China's interest and pursuit of a land-based anti-ship ballistic missile that China might be able to deploy against U.S. aircraft carriers. China is also bolstering its submarine fleet and its cyberwarfare capabilities.
The report also generally focuses on the military balance across the Strait of Taiwan. Under U.S. law, the United States is obligated to provide weapons and other assistance to support the defense of Taiwan. The Obama administration enraged China in January when it announced the sale of $6.4 billion worth of weapons to Taiwan -- including Blackhawk helicopters and Patriot anti-missile systems. Taiwan is also seeking to purchase F-16 C/D fighters. Cornyn is a strong backer of those sales. (Source: John Pomfret, Washington Post, Jul 23, 2010).