US worries about China's naval build-up

The US government would like to have a better idea about the intentions behind China’s naval build-up, a senior US navy officer said on Sunday, Reuters reported. “That’s why visits like mine are important,” US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead told a news conference in Beijing ahead of his trip to Qingdao for the 60th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army’s navy. This week a Chinese admiral told state media that China would accelerate development of warships, stealth submarines and long-range missiles as the country makes a stronger navy a priority in military modernization. The US has long complained about the lack of transparency in Beijing’s military spending. Tensions between the United States and China rose last month over an incident in the South China Sea in which five Chinese ships harassed a US Navy surveillance vessel.