A new report from the U.S. Department of Defense has issued a stark warning, stating that China's ongoing 'historic military buildup' is rendering the American homeland 'increasingly vulnerable.' The congressionally mandated assessment, the first released during Donald Trump's second term, paints a picture of a rapidly modernizing Chinese military that is learning from global conflicts and growing more resistant to U.S. engagement.
A Sophisticated and Wary Adversary
The report, posted on the Pentagon's website on Tuesday, describes a People's Liberation Army that is becoming increasingly sophisticated and resilient. It notes Beijing's wariness toward entering into large-scale security agreements with the United States. Furthermore, the analysis suggests China is closely studying Russia's military setbacks in Ukraine as it continues to apply pressure on Taiwan.
While the document confirms that China and Russia are deepening their strategic partnership—'almost certainly driven by a shared interest in countering the United States'—it also highlights a significant hurdle. The cooperation is hampered by a foundation of 'mutual distrust' between the two powers.
Challenges to Arms Control and Technological Edge
This assessment of China's expanding capabilities presents a direct challenge to President Trump's stated goal of negotiating new limits on the nuclear arsenals of the U.S., China, and Russia. The report underscores the scale of Beijing's modernization, which complicates traditional arms control frameworks.
Experts cited in the context of the report have repeatedly warned that China is outpacing the United States in the development of hypersonic weapons. In response, the Trump administration's proposed 'Golden Dome' missile defense system is intended to counter these advanced threats, alongside more traditional ballistic missiles.
A Consistent Warning Across Administrations
The latest findings continue a trend of escalating concern from the Pentagon. The previous edition of the report, published in December 2024 under the Biden administration, declared China the only competitor with both the intent and the growing capacity to reshape the international order. It stressed the imperative of addressing the challenge posed by China's 'increasingly capable military.'
Looking further back, a September 2020 report from the first Trump administration concluded that Beijing was engaged in a comprehensive effort to expand its national power and revise the global order. The new report's release follows the Trump administration's National Security Strategy, which focused more on hemispheric and domestic issues, a shift from the Biden-era defense strategy that labeled China America's primary 'pacing challenge.'
The annual report on Chinese military power is a requirement established by the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2000. The Defense Department provides a classified version to Congress and releases an unclassified summary for public awareness.
