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Chinese purchase of

Russian warship

not a threat: US

WASHINGTON: China's recent purchase of a Russian-made warship does not represent a significant threat or upset the region's balance of power, US officials said on Thursday, though a Republican congressman and Taiwan's defence ministry sounded notes of alarm.

"We don't believe that the purchase by China of the ship poses a significant threat to the US military posture in Asia," State Department spokesman James Rubin said.

While clearly improving China's naval capabilities, "it is fair to say the appearance of one additional modern warship will not fundamentally alter the regional balance of power," he said.

A US admiral said the ship purchase had been planned, and monitored by the US, for some time.

"We've known about this as a coming event, if you will, for some number of years," said Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral Craig Quigley.

Quigley said he thought the purchase posed no threat to US military forces in the region.

The other potential area of concern, Quigley said, was whether the new addition to China's navy upset the balance of power between China and Taiwan.

"As we've said many times before, anything that gets that balance seriously out of kilter is of concern to us," he said.

"Taken in isolation, this is a good ship, it's a modern warship, but it does not significantly change the balance of power in that part of the world," he said.

But a Taiwan defence ministry spokesman in Taipei said China's acquisition of the Sovremenney (modern) class destroyer would increase the threat to Taiwan's security.

The 7,600-tonne destroyer, the first of two which Beijing has ordered from Moscow, is expected to sail through the Taiwan Strait on Friday or Saturday, on its way from Russia to an unknown Chinese naval base.

Rubin said the United States was carefully monitoring the latest developments, and would "continue to monitor the military balance in the strait closely and meet our obligation to make available to Taiwan the arms it need for an adequate defense".

"We closely monitor the development and modernisation of China's military and its potential impact on US security," he stated. Washington had made clear its concerns to the Chinese government regarding Chinese military developments, including its missile deployments and their influence on the situation in the Taiwan Strait, Rubin said.ÑAFP