"Safeguarding the sovereignty and integrity of our territory is every country's undoubted right," the foreign ministry told AFP, and said the Pentagon comments were a ruse to justify Washington selling advanced weapons to Taipei.

"The concerned parties in the United States spread (rumours of) so-called mainland missile threats to Taiwan in various forms over and over," the ministry said.

"The purpose is to make excuses, and create public opinion for (the US) selling advanced weapons to Taiwan.

"China expresses strong discontent and firm opposition."

The United States remains the leading arms supplier to Taiwan despite shifting its political recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.

Earlier this month, reports said Washington had agreed to ship AIM-120 medium-range air-to-air missiles to the Taiwanese air force to ensure military balance in the Taiwan Strait.

The Pentagon's annual report to Congress on Chinese military power, released Wednesday, said Beijing is adding annually 75 short-range missiles across from Taiwan and is acquiring or developing weapons and tactics aimed at countering technologically superior US forces.

"The PLA's (Peoples Liberation Army's) offensive capabilities improve as each year passes, providing Beijing, in the absence of an effective response by Taiwan, with an increasing number of credible military options to intimidate or actually attack Taiwan," said the report.

"Should China use force, its primary goal likely would be to compel a negotiated solution on terms favorable to Beijing," it said.

"Beijing would most likely seek a rapid collapse of Taiwan's national will to preclude the United States from intervening on Taipei's behalf."

Beijing Friday reiterated its stance that Taiwan is part of China that must be reunified, and said any attempt to separate the territory from the "motherland" was "doomed to failure".

"It is the common aspiration of all the Chinese people, including Taiwan compatriots, to resolve the Taiwan question and accomplish the complete reunification of the motherland," state media quoted Defence Minister Cao Gangchuan as saying.

Beijing has repeatedly threatened to invade should the island declare formal independence.

Foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan said Friday that the greatest danger was posed by people on Taiwan seeking independence from the mainland.

"The growth of the Taiwan-independence forces is precisely the greatest threat to the stability of the Taiwan Straits," Kong said according to Xinhua news agency.

Kong added that China "will try its best, with the utmost sincerity, to realize a peaceful reunification."

Defence Minister Gao also vowed at a function marking the PLA's 76th anniversary to continue China's military modernisation drive, which has alarmed Washington.

"We must build the armed forces on the basis of advanced science and technology, applying the latest research and development achievements in all fields of army building," he said.

Cao called for stepped up equipment development, an upgrading of logistical support and better education and training.

China has maintained double-digit increases in military spending since the 1991 Gulf War when leaders realized how far behind they were in advanced military technology.

The Pentagon report said China's most immediate threat to Taiwan is a force of 450 short-range ballistic missiles in the Nanjing Military Region across the Taiwan straits from Taipei.

The PLA is developing variants of the CSS-6 missile that would enable attacks against Okinawa when forward-deployed or against Taiwan when deployed further inland, it said.

The United States maintains a de-facto embassy in Taipei and is committed to protecting the island against Chinese attack.

WAR.WIRE