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China’s ruling Communist Party and People’s Liberation Army are upending the rules-based international order and increasing global efforts to expand power, the US admiral in charge of Pacific forces said in a House session on Tuesday.

In his detailed written statement, Commander of the Indo-Pacific Command, Aquilino, discussed China’s strategic and military ambitions to rapidly become a global superpower.

Using the acronym for the People’s Republic of China, Aquilino said, “The PRC aims to become a global military power and gain the ability to seize Taiwan while developing conventional weapons that can reach the homeland of the United States.” The comments were included in a 33-page statement prepared before the House Appropriations defense subcommittee.

The Admiral appeared before the subcommittee’s closed hearing. However, his written statement was published on the subcommittee’s website. The Admiral’s statement is the Pentagon’s final assessment of its chief rival’s current capabilities as President Biden prepares for a trip to Asia this week to meet with US allies over the security landscape in East Asia.

“The PRC is also seeking to build a network of overseas military installations that will expand its reach by supporting an increasingly global People’s Liberation Army (PLA) that can project power far beyond the Indo-Pacific.”

The Chinese are wielding a combination of economic and military influence that can be seen in the “coercive economic actions taken by the PRC against US allies and like-minded partners.”

He said one example is the “One Belt, One Road” program for overseas infrastructure development and financing, which critics say is a tool for expanding Chinese influence and reach around the world. The admiral said the Chinese military-civilian “fusion” program to acquire technology and expertise makes academic research cooperation with Beijing a potential national security hazard.

“The PRC is running a special campaign that uses every national force to uproot the rules-based international order to their benefit at the expense of others,” Aquilino said in a prepared statement. “Their will and resources to challenge longstanding international norms are evident in every regional and functional area.”

Aquilino outlined the large-scale Chinese military buildup of new warships, airplanes, space and cyberweapons, which the United States and its allies are nervously watching. President Xi Jinping, Admiral II.

The US admiral said that the PLA now has 130 surface warships and about 350 ships and submarines, making it the world’s largest navy, and is expected to reach 420 warships by 2025.

The PLA also boasts the largest air force in the region, with more than half of its advanced warplanes, “fourth generation” or better. Production begins now for a new fifth-generation J-20 fighter.

Nuclear-capable H-6N bombers are added, along with new land-based and mobile long-range missiles.

“In addition to a large arsenal of advanced ballistic missiles, the PLA rocket force is pursuing ground attack, supersonic cruise missiles and other advanced weapons,” Aquilino said. The PLA’s next-generation mobile missiles use independently targeted multiple reentry vehicles (MIRVs) and highly capable hypersonic gliding vehicles (HGVs) designed to evade US missile defenses.”

Space weapons in the PLA’s arsenal include directed energy weapons, electronic jammers, a ground-launched kinetic kill missile, and orbital strike capabilities.

Space weapons are aimed at denying the US military and its allies access to space during a crisis or conflict.

“The PLA’s enhancement of cyber capabilities directly supports intelligence gathering against the United States, advanced PLA modernization objectives, and intellectual property theft,” said Aquilino. “From denial of service attacks to physical disruptions of critical infrastructure, the PRC seeks to shape decision-making and disrupt military operations in the early stages and throughout the conflict.”

China has made taking over self-governing Taiwan a high priority, and Aquilino said China has “greatly increased” the size and complexity of its military training for an attack on the island.

“Beijing has intensified the pressure on Taiwan to force submission and weaken resistance, using diplomatic, informational, military and economic means to isolate Taiwan from the international community,” he told lawmakers in his prepared statement.

Aquilino said he had made “illegal maritime allegations” in the South China Sea as part of China’s efforts to seize the waterway. He explained that the disputed islands are now armed with anti-ship missiles, anti-aircraft guns and jamming gear.

Aquilino outlined what he called “seize the initiative” by Indo-Pacific Command to counter Chinese aggression and deter a future conflict.

“This approach requires the joint force to think, act and work differently by synchronizing our operations, realigning our stance and improving our combat capabilities,” he said.

The strategy will require a military buildup in the Pacific, as well as joint operations with allies in the region.

“‘Taking the initiative’ is the first step towards establishing lasting advantages that ensure U.S. forces are positioned in the right place with the right capabilities to deter security forces in close, medium and long-term competition,” Adm said. said Aquilino.