In his remarks, Mr. Thomas discussed key trends and priorities in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army naval modernization program, as well as China’s development of an anti-ship ballistic missile; and addressed the implications of this modernization effort for U.S. and allied operational and force planning.
"The cumulative effect of China’s modernization efforts is that the military balance in the western Pacific is being altered, and the costs to the United States of projecting power into the region are rising dramatically," he concluded.