Defense Sec Gates Discusses China's Planned Extensive I.T. Defense

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said today that he raised "uncertainty over China's military modernization and the need for greater transparency to allay international concerns" in talks in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart Cao Gangchuan.

Secretary Gates is visiting China, just a week after China's current president, Hu Jintao, stated "We must build strong armed forces through science and technology. To attain the strategic objective of building computerized armed forces and winning IT-based warfare, we will accelerate composite development of mechanization and computerization, carry out military training under IT-based conditions, modernize every aspect of logistics, intensify our efforts to train a new type of high-caliber military personnel in large numbers and change the mode of generating combat capabilities."

Perhaps Secretary Gates will discuss the recent spike in Chinese hacking into U.S. Defense Department computers.

Sinodefence.com, an independent China military-monitoring Web site based in the U.K. says "Both military and civilian sectors in China are actively exploring the information warfare concept, which could be gradually developed into a corps of 'network warriors' able to defend China's telecommunications, command, and information networks, while uncovering vulnerabilities in foreign networks,"

Clearly, Secretary Gates, has his hands full this week in his discussions with Chinese Defense department officials. Spending by the Chinese on their military has increase 1000% in recent years, all when China has no apparent enemies.

I foresee a coming, arms, space and technology race with China. And we cannot afford to allow China to win any of these races, if we intend on keeping the United States in its preeminent position.

For more information on Secretary Gates visit to China check out China, U.S. agree on defense hotline as Gates visits.

Or for more information on China's current president, Hu Jintao, plans for Cyberwarfare check out Defense comes to forefront at China's Communist Party Congress.

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