THE CHINESE MILITARY SAYS U.S. CONCERNS about its growing power are “groundless. “In any country, military strength is the bulwark of the country’s diplomatic activities and must have the ability to solve disputes. Otherwise, the existence of the armed forces is pointless,” Major General Luo Yuan, deputy secretary general of the China Society of Military Science, told People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the ruling Communist Party. http://bit.ly/oKOvXa

THE GROWTH OF CHINESE MILITARY POWER OUTLINED in a Pentagon report released Wednesday has become a political issue in Washington, with many in Congress seeking to stall or reverse plans for deep Pentagon budget cuts in response.