Pentagon's 2016 Report to Congress on China

choi

Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2016; A Report to Congress Pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000. US Department of Defense, Mat 12, 2016.
http://www.defense.gov/Portals/1 ... 0Power%20Report.pdf

My comment:
(a) I browse through the report quickly. I am unsure why China is unhappy, saying the report makes China out as a threat. My view is this report is no different from the previous ones

(b) In fact, this year's report scaled back claims made in the report last year, which asserted
(i) that submarine-launched JL 巨浪 -2 would be on board by the end of last year;
(ii) that DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile might be operational;
(iii) that multiple independently-targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) was on DF-5 (an ICBM), and maybe DF-41 also.

(c) The report this year has this to say about JL-2 and the JIN-class (094) nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN). Of course, without JL-2, it is not "ballistic missile" anymore.

"China will probably conduct its first SSBN nuclear deterrence patrol sometime in 2016 meaning it might be equipped with JL-2]." p 26

"China continues to produce the JIN-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), with four commissioned and another under construction. The JIN will eventually carry the CSS-NX-14 (JL-2) SLBM
with an estimated range of 7,200 km. Together these will give the PLAN its first credible long-range sea-based nuclear capability." p 58