he chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen has expressed serious concern about China's growing military might in the Asia-Pacific region.
"It's too early to say where China is going with all of this, "Mullen said in the Japanese capital Tokyo on Friday.
"They say it's defensive. We'll see.”
Mullen made the comments after concluding a four-day visit to Beijing where he watched a counter-terrorism exercise with modern equipment.
Meanwhile, the top US military official has also acknowledged a deep rift between Washington and Beijing and said a greater understanding is needed to boost ties between the two nations.
"There is a long way to go," Mullen said in a news conference at the US Embassy in Tokyo.
The remarks come as China is reportedly developing game-changing stealth aircrafts and advanced naval missiles that can pave the way for ending the US dominance at sea.
A powerful military could also revolutionize China's role in the Pacific balance of power and will make it risky for the US to intervene in any potential dispute over Taiwan or North Korea.
It could also deny US ships safe access to international waters near China's 18,000-kilometer- (11,200-mile-) long coastline.
The developments come as relations between China and the US have become tense over a number of issues.
China has already reduced its military cooperation with the Pentagon over the 6.4-billion-dollar US arms sales to Taiwan. China considers the island as part of its territory.
Beijing has in response imposed unspecified sanctions on US firms selling weapons to Taiwan.
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