U.S. commander in Japan reportedly concerned about Chinese military buildup

Lt. Gen. Bruce Wright (USAF) is commander of roughly 50,000 soldiers stationed in Japan -- Washington's biggest ally in Asia. According to a senior military official there, the general is concerned that while the U.S. has been occupied with Iraq, China has been modernizing its military and making its air defenses nearly impenetrable to all but the newest American fighters.

Lt. Col. Bob Maginnis (USA-Ret.) says General Wright is also worried about troop availability and funds for the upgrading of equipment. "It is a bit disconcerting to him that the resources that he envisions needing to stand up against [the] Communist Chinese threat would be diminished if we continue the current track," says Maginnis.

Maginnis says there are other areas in which the Chinese are rapidly expanding and modernizing. "A blue water navy, a ballistic missile inventory that is growing, a nuclear inventory, certainly faster supersonic fighters, and a host of modernizations. It's already a very a large standing force of 2.3 million," he points out.

Maginnis says on the other hand General Wright points out that one has to be concerned about the small number of U.S. forces and the age of those forces.