Pentagon: China extending military reach

China is rapidly extending its military reach, buying more long-range aircraft and weapons that will allow it to compete with the United States and potentially pose a threat to other countries in the region, a Pentagon report said. The pace and scope of China's progress in modernizing its military suggests it is looking beyond Taiwan, the self-governing island that draws much of its attention, according to the annual study released Tuesday. The new report echoes worries expressed by US Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld during a China visit late last year about advances in its nuclear capabilities, and suggestions that the government should be more open about its intentions.