Such capabilities, China insists, are "purely defensive in nature," and the report does not repeat the threat contained in the last white paper to crush any serious move toward Taiwanese independence "resolutely and thoroughly."

It does, however, note disapprovingly of heightened US-Japanese military cooperation, as Tokyo and Washington build a joint missile shield designed to protect Japan from North Korean missiles. Beijing appears to worry that Taiwan may one day be brought under this shield, blunting the mainland's military strength in any cross-Strait conflict.
The white paper came on the heels of a speech by President Hu Jintao calling for a stronger "blue water" navy with the ability to range far from home ports. "We should strive to build a powerful navy that adapts to the needs of our military's historical mission in this new century," Mr. Hu said.

"We should make sound preparations for military struggles and ensure the forces can effectively carry out missions at any t