In its annual report to the US Congress on Wednesday, the Department of Defense said the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) remains focused on developing capabilities to “deter, deter, or, if ordered to do so, defeat third party intervention in the Indo-Pacific region. “.

“The PLA continues to develop the capabilities necessary to conduct military operations deeper in the Indo-Pacific region and globally,” the report said, adding that the PLA was deploying hypersonic glider vehicles that could be “used to strike foreign military bases and fleets in the West. Peaceful”.

The chain is a series of islands and archipelagos stretching from the Japanese mainland to the Philippines off the coast of mainland Asia and includes the strategic hotspots of Taiwan and the South China Sea.

The U.S. report said improvements to China’s air and naval systems have allowed its forces “to operate further from the PRC (People’s Republic of China) and for longer.”