China poses most serious threat to US national security: Top general

China poses most serious threat to national security of US in long run, a top American general told country's lawmakers.

"I think China is main challenge to US national security over next 50 to 100 years," General Mark A Milley, said on Thursday in his confirmation hearing for Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"I think some historian in 2119 is going to look back at this century and re a book and central me of story is going to beat relationship between United States and China, Milley said responding to a question from Senator David Perdue.

Milley agreed with Perdue that China was using tre as lever to achieve its national security interests and one belt ro initiative was a part of it.

"With regard to ir belt-ro initiative and re me in China 2025, my experience is that y generally don't tell ir versaries what y are going to do unless y have me a determination that y eir don't have wherewithal or will to stop m," Perdue said.

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Georgia Senator expressed his concern over Chinese investments in ports around Africa and Indian Ocean but also in South America where re are over 50 port investments that y have me with proprietary loans. 

"w see in Colombo, Sri Lanka and n also Karachi and Pakistan where y have actually foreclosed and are w militarising those two ports in dition to what y have done in Djibouti," he said.

Milley said that China has expanded throughout all of regions of globe and y are clear competition, y are primarily in competition for resources in order to build and improve ir military in order to fund and feel ir ecomy. 

"I think that what we need to do is to uphold rms of international order that has been in place for last seven deces," he said.

Responding to ar question, he said re are anxiety and fear among countries due to an aggressive China and y want United States re.

"y want us re as a security partner, y want us re as a security guarantor, y want full presence forward presence. y believe that we are a force of stability and re is great concern," he said.

China, though he ted is t an enemy of United States. 

"I want to make that clear. y are an versary, I would say, y are our competitor. But that's different than an enemy. An enemy in military langu means y are in an active armed conflict. You are at war. We're t re. We don't want to be re," Milley said.

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"We want peace, t war with China. But having said that, I think that best way to do that is to make sure that we are prepared. China is improving ir military very, very rapidly... y are outspending us in research, development, and procurement. You would never think that but y are," he said.

" United States needs to make sure that we do t lose our vant that we have relative to or countries specifically to China," Milley said.

"China went to school on us. y watched us very closely in first Gulf War, second Gulf War, y watched our capabilities. And in many, many ways y have mimicked those and y have opted many of doctrines in organisations, etc.," he told lawmakers.

Reiterating that China has alrey militarised South China Sea and have capabilities in air, sea, and ground to influence surface sea operations, Milley asserted that freedom of navigation operations is critical to ensure that Asia Pacific region remains free and open to commercial access.