(Reuters) - Advances by China's military in cyber and anti-satellite warfare technology could challenge the ability of U.S. forces to operate in the Pacific, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Friday during a visit to Japan.
Just days after meetings in China meant to bolster ties with its military, Gates renewed concerns about a buildup by the People's Liberation Army, which flexed its muscle this week with its first-ever test flight of a stealth fighter jet.
China also plans to develop aircraft carriers, anti-satellite missiles and other advanced systems which have alarmed the region and the United States, the dominant military power in the Pacific.
"Questions about (China's) intentions and opaque military modernization program have been a source of concern to its neighbors," Gates said, addressing university students in Tokyo.
The comments were part of a broad speech drawing attention to the importance of U.S. military ties with Japan, where roughly 49,000 U.S. military personnel are stationed. Without the forward presence of U.S. troops in Japan, China "might behave more assertively toward its neighbors", he said.
Gates cited a territorial dispute between Japan and China that flared up last year, calling it an example of why the U.S. alliance with Japan was so important.
"Questions about China's growing role in the region manifest themselves in territorial disputes, most recently in the incident in September near the Senkaku Islands," Gates said, using the Japanese name for them.
In China they are called the Diaoyu islands.
Still, Gates said he did not see China as an "inevitable strategic adversary".
President Hu Jintao will visit the United States next week, and Gates noted that Hu and U.S. President Barack Obama had called on their militaries to strengthen ties -- one of the most brittle links in overall Sino-U.S. relations.
"It is precisely because we have questions about China's military -- just as they might have similar questions about the United States -- that I believe a healthy dialogue is needed," he said.
CYBER WARFARE?
Worry about China has convinced Japan of the need to repair an alliance frayed last year by a feud over a U.S. air base as well as efforts by Japan's Democratic Party-led government to forge a diplomatic stance less dependent on Washington.
In a sweeping update of its defense policies, Japan last month pledged tighter security ties with the United States.
Analysts say China's military advances appear designed to counter U.S. capabilities in the Pacific, despite assurances from Beijing that its modernization is peaceful.
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