1、 1 STATEMENT BEFORE THE HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE SEAPOWER AND PROJECTION FORCES SUBCOMMITTEE By Jim Thomas Vice President and Director of Studies Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments Chairman Forbes,Ranking Member McIntyre,and Members of the Subcommittee,thank you for convening this
2、important series of hearings on Asia-Pacific regional security.I appreciate your invitation to testify today on the subject of PLA naval modernization and its implications for how the United States and its allies preserve the regional security balance during a period of rapid change.I will discuss k
3、ey trends and priorities in the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army(PLA)naval modernization program,as well as Chinas development of an anti-ship ballistic missile,although it is technically not a naval modernization program.I will also address the implications of this modernization effort for U.S.and a
4、llied operational and force planning.Assessing modernization requires comparing capabilities of one country with the capabilities of its competitors.Over the long term,this is an interactive process since the modernization effort of one country will influence the modernization decisions of the other