US losing military supremacy?

BEIJING – Western cuts and swiftly rising defense spending in emerging economies are redrawing the global strategic map, a leading think tank said yesterday, with the danger of conflicts between states also rising.

In its annual Global Military Balance report, the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said the shift in economic power was already beginning to have a real military effect and closing any strategic gap.

Asian Pacific nations particularly China were increasing defense spending by double digits annually, he said, with growing evidence Western states were losing their technological edge in areas such as stealth technology and cyber warfare.