New missile 'ready by 2015'
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China debuted its first stealth fighter jet, the J-20, in January, in a test flight that coincided with a visit to Beijing by US Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
Following the successful test flight, speculations and assessments of Beijing's military advancement echoed around the world.
The Pentagon this week formally rolled out a record base budget for fiscal year 2012 of $553 billion, up $22 billion from the level enacted for 2010. However, additional overseas war funding is down by $41.5 billion.
This led Gates to counter-attack, warning Congress on Wednesday against making deeper spending cuts than those already proposed, telling lawmakers that the US faces threats ranging from militants to states "developing new capabilities that target our traditional strengths," citing Iran, North Korea, as well as China, Reuters reported.
Li Daguang, a military expert at the People's Liberation Army National Defense University, told the Global Times that Thursday's revelation speaks volumes about the significant progress China had made in the field of missile technology as well as proving the country's commitments to transparency in military affairs.
"But the real combat capabilities of the missile in complicated situations remains to be tested. There is still a huge gap between China and Western countries with regard to advanced weaponry development," he said, adding that China should always remain prudent and rational when presenting its military progress.
Wang Yanan, an associate editor-in-chief at Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times that some seem to favor wild speculation where the Chinese military is concerned.
"US wariness doesn't suggest its inability to develop advanced missiles. The US is still a leader in this aspect as it possesses the most cutting-edge missile technologies," Wang said.
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