[RN7]

Not at all. It would actually be the wisest move and the less provocative one as the given missile doesn't threaten US naval power in any way. So far it seems to be strictly defensive and I would think it to be a fair answer to US naval power. It simply deny US capability to get the upper hand if US attacks China (very unlikely but who knows).

The "missile doesn't threaten US power in any way", yet "I would think it to be a fair answer to US naval power". Well if its a fair answer to US naval power it must be of some threat, because if it wasn't it would be fairly useless do you not think?

If US thinks it to be provocative, I would suspect the US administration to develop plans to attack China. I don't think it possible.

I'm sure the US administration has many simulated plans to attack China.

What would be provocative, however, would be for China to sell such missile to Iran (future will tell).

It would probably lead to an end to US-Chinese trade and the collapse of the Chinese economy.

Of course, they will develop a version to be carried on ships but when this will be done I'm sure US will have developed the proper countermeasure.

The ship would be of some size to carry ballistic missile, perphaps the Russians gave them blueprints for the Kirov Class battlecruiser. And if the US put ABM systems on its ships I don't think Russia would be to happy.

Of course media will say it to be provocative (that will boost their own market) but if US administration say so, it will become amusing. I love the idea of US taking over the role of former Soviet Union.

I haven't currently read anywhere about the US complaining about this weapon system, which probably means the US military doesn't rate it seriously.

I love these kind of assumptions on the side of Americans or Europeans (civilians). Most of the technology your are talking of is assembled with components made in China. Still, we keep thinking that the Chinese are too stupid to assemble it themselves. Hopefully for us, US administration don't share your idea. Look at their released report on China if you ever have a doubt. About arm race, don't worry, it never ended and simply slew down between something like 1992-2001.

So tell me where did I say the Chinese are too stupid then? Also where did I mention Europeans, and what part of an F-22 is made in China? Also wasn't the same argument about western military components being made in Japan banded about 20 years ago, and how dependent on Japan did western militaries become?

I was just thinking about that China thing and here is a theory.
Lets look at US first.

- Ahead of everyone when it comes to aircraft: generation 5 while all contenders have generation 4 and 4.5.

Well ahead of everyone else at the moment, as the only 5th generation aircraft flying is an F-22 and the only outside of technology demonstraters that is likely to seriously come into service over the next decade is the F-35.

- Slightly superior when it comes to ground forces. I think of the US army to be the best in the world but I'm not sure that its military gear is so superior. M1 Abrams demonstrated their superiority but, so far, only against outdated equipments and tactics. They also showed several weeknesses in Irak. Then, US army changed but the other did that too. Merkavas also proved that tanks can be very vulnerable to footmen (Infantry queen of the field again). The best advantage to US is their wonderful professiency when it comes to combine their forces.

Many NATO and developed militaries have ground forces that use equipment that approaches or is equal to that of the US Army/Marines, and some are better trained. Britain's Challenger 2 tank for example has superior armour protection to the Abrams. The US Army and Marines just have far more very good equipment and well trained soldiers than anyone else, and have an air mobility capability and an air and sea logistical capability that is vastly superior to any other country.

- Absolutly dominant when it come to the sea. The carrier fleet has no match and the US aircraft carriers are the most magnificent war machine you can imagine.

Britain's nuclear hunter killer submarine fleet is highly regarded by the US Navy, and if fully operational would make even the US Navy think twice about where it sent her carriers and ships, but fortunately Britain is a close ally.

Lets look at China.
- Quickly converting its aircraft fleet to generation 4 and 4.5 with a huge amount of older aircrafts in reserve. It could get generation 5 within ten years. In the meantime, the country acquired a top of the line air defense by colaborating with Russia and France.

So what 4.5 generation aircraft does China have or is planning to deploy? The only 4th generation aircraft that I know that China has are the J-10, the J-11 and the FC-1/JF-17. The FC-1/JF-17 was developed with Pakistan is far from a cutting edge combat aircraft. The J-10 was developed with Israeli and Russian assistance, and the J-11 is a development of the Russian Su-27SK. I think the suggestion that 5th generation Chinese combat aircraft coming online over the next decade is wishful thinking. Also I'm aware that China has bought Russian S-300 series long ranged SAM's and has produced them under license, but what imput has France made to Chinese air defences?

- On the ground, they have enough manpower to stop anyone. They did already in the past. Their ground forces are also modernizing really fast.

Well its never been tested as nobody wants to invade China.

- At sea (their main weak point) they are a match for any conventional fleet but no match at all for US carrier task forces. And such task force would switch the ground and air balance.

They'd be sent to the bottom of the sea very quickly.

A few years ago, China succesfully shot down a satelite etc

The whole debate about the missle system in question and the China's anti-satellite capabilities seems to be based on variations of the DF-21 missile. Development of this missile started in the 1960's, and although sytematic upgrades and the incorporation of new technology have made this missile far more capable than originally designed, the technology is not new or some miraculous breakthrough by China. The fact that China has achieved this shows how far China has progressed in the past few decades, but by looking at Chinese aerospace thechnology based on its air defence and aircraft designs it would be hard to avoid the conclusion that they are being assisted by other countries or utilising foreign technology.