China's military has expanded its bomber operations in recent years while "likely training for strikes" against the US and its allies, a Pentagon report says.
The assessment, which comes at a time of heightened US-China tensions over trade, is contained in an annual report that highlights China's efforts to increase its global influence, with defence spending the Pentagon estimates exceeded $US190 billion ($A261 billion) in 2017.
"Over the last three years, the PLA has rapidly expanded its overwater bomber operating areas, gaining experience in critical maritime regions and likely training for strikes against US and allied targets," the report says, using an acronym for China's People's Liberation Army.
The report, released on Thursday, comes as China and the US plan to hold trade talks, offering hope they might resolve an escalating tariff conflict that threatens to degenerate into an all-out trade war.
Chinese President Xi Jinping. Source: AFP
The report says while the PLA has continued to extend operations, it is not clear what message Beijing is seeking to send by carrying out the flights "beyond a demonstration of improved capabilities".
The Chinese embassy in Washington could not immediately be reached for comment.
This year China's air force landed bombers on islands and reefs in the South China Sea as part of a training exercise in the disputed region.
In January, the Pentagon put countering Beijing, along with Russia, at the centre of a new national defence strategy.
While Washington and Beijing maintain a military-to-military relationship aimed at containing tensions, this has been tested in recent months, notably in May when the Pentagon withdrew an invitation to China to join a multinational naval exercise.
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