Jan.14 (China Military News cited from AXcess News and written by Erich Hiner) — Senior military and government officials assured members of Congress Wednesday that China does not pose a significant security threat to the U.S.

In a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee, witnesses from the Navy, the State Department and the Defense Department said China’s armed forces are rapidly expanding, but the nation itself is not set to become a direct U.S. military rival.

Although troubled by China’s rapid increase in military-related spending and its positioning of missiles near the island of Taiwan, the witnesses said China’s increases do not necessarily come at the expense of U.S. security.

Wallace C. Gregson, assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific security affairs, said the two nations can find common ground despite China’s ongoing buildup.

“China is not a strategic adversary,” Gregson said. “It is a partner is some respects and a competitor in others.”

Gregson and other witnesses said China has been cooperative in pressuring Iran and North Korea to abandon their pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Despite those positive steps, witnesses said China competes with the U.S. for influence, economic gains and commercial opportunities. As the Chinese military grows, U.S. military and state officials foresee an unavoidable rise in tensions.

Members of the committee were hopeful for future U.S.-China negotiations on security issues, but said China must be willing to play a larger role if tensions are to decrease.

Rep. Howard P. McKeon, R-Calif., the committee’s senior Republican, said U.S.-led negotiations can go only so far.

“While I believe that coming to the table is vital to avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation, we must be mindful that it takes two to make a relationship work and that our priority focus must always be on protecting America’s national security interests,” McKeon said.

China has increased its military spending over the past two decades, boosting its defense budget by double-digit percentage increases every year. The most recent increase, from 2008 to 2009, was 14.9 percent, bringing the official amount of Chinese military spending to roughly $70.6 billion. U.S. military officials suspect the actual sum is many times greater.

China has also modernized its armed forces. According to witness statements, China is developing ballistic missile systems capable of striking U.S. aircraft carriers in the Pacific. The country is also developing a submarine-launched ballistic missile capable of reaching the continental U.S.

The witnesses expressed their most serious concern over China’s refusal to discuss the true extent of its military increases or its intentions. Beijing has not disclosed its plans for a larger, more-advanced People’s Liberation Army.

Adm. Robert F. Willard, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, said China’s stated goal of a defensive military runs contrary to its actual combative capabilities. The PLA is becoming more capable of waging the type of fast, modern warfare needed to fight high-tech armies.

Willard said Beijing’s silence can be addressed with improved communication and cooperation. That would also improve military-to-military relations and help avoid international incidents, Willard said. The PLA and the U.S. military have no established communication channels.

“It is clearly in both nations’ interests, and the Asia-Pacific region’s interest, to manage these complexities and develop a relationship with China that is constructive in every way,” Willard said.

Some representatives were wary of China’s future capabilities, but witnesses said the country’s primary concern remains internal stability.

“I think the Chinese pay a lot of attention to internal security and internal social issues,” said David B. Shear, deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs. “That is the No. 1 goal for them.”