BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - China poses the biggest long-term threat to the United States in all spheres of life, the Defense Department's policy chief said.
This warning was given by John C. Rood, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, during a panel discussion at the Center for European Policy Analysis Forum in Washington.
The Under Secretary talked about China's ambitions to have a world-class military. This is part of the Communist nation's intention to become the world's largest and most influential economy, and to be the world's most influential nation in all spheres of life, according to him.
The top defense official accused Beijing of challenging the international rules-based order, the individual freedoms, and the free movement of ideas, people and trade.
'Promoting an authoritarian model, one that doesn't respect the sovereignty of others, [is] what challenges our way of life,' Rood noted.
'You're starting to see China develop overseas military bases, overseas intelligence collection locations, and this is one of the areas in which to challenge sovereignty'.
He pointed to the fact that in the last 10 years, a 750 percent growth has been noticed in China's defense spending.
Rood said the Chinese know they can't win a head-to-head competition with the United States, despite their determination to steal from the U.S. innovation. He claimed that the U.S. innovation model would beat China's innovation model 10 times out of 10 times.
'We have to be serious about protecting this international rules-based order, protecting free trade, protecting the free movement of ideas and the role of individual society,' Rood said.
Rood made it clear that the United States doesn't seek a confrontational approach, nor is it destined to be adversaries with China.
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