REPORT ON MILITARY CAPABILITIES OF PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.

SEC. 1305. REPORT ON MILITARY CAPABILITIES OF PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. (a) Report.— The Secretary of Defense shall prepare a report, in both classified and unclassified form, on the future pattern of military modernization of the People’s Republic of China. The report shall address both the probable course of military-technological development in the People’s Liberation Army and the development of Chinese military strategy and operational concepts. (b) Matters To Be Included.— The report shall include analyses and forecasts of the following: (1) Trends that would lead the People’s Republic of China toward advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, either through a development program or by gaining access to commercial or third-party systems with militarily significant capabilities. (2) Efforts by the People’s Republic of China to develop highly accurate and low-observable ballistic and cruise missiles, and the investments in infrastructure that would allow for production of such weapons in militarily significant quantities, particularly in numbers sufficient to conduct attacks capable of overwhelming projected defense capabilities in the region. (3) Development by the People’s Republic of China of enhanced command and control networks, particularly those capable of battle management that would include long-range precision strikes. (4) Programs of the People’s Republic of China involving unmanned aerial vehicles, particularly those with extended ranges or loitering times. (5) Exploitation by the People’s Republic of China of the Global Positioning System or other similar systems, including commercial land surveillance satellites, for significant military purposes, including particularly for increasing the accuracy of weapons or the situational awareness of operating forces. 110 STAT. 2706 (6) Development by the People’s Republic of China of capabilities for denial of sea control, such as advanced sea mines or improved submarine capabilities. (7) Continued development by the People’s Republic of China of follow-on forces, particularly those capable of rapid air or amphibious assault. (c) Submission of Report.— The report shall be submitted to Congress not later than February 1, 1997.