China is getting closer to deploying a new intermediate-range ballistic missile known as the DF-26 — or "Guam Killer" — which could put American forces stationed on the western Pacific U.S. territory at risk, a government report has warned.
The report, published by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a congressional commission that investigates national security and trade issues between the two countries, said last week that Beijing was working to modernize its strike capabilities amid Washington's so-called Asia "pivot."
The U.S. pivot to Asia comes as China's Communist Party strives to reinforce its legitimacy by strengthening its military and protecting its territorial interests and claims, including in the disputed South and East China seas, the report says.