LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - A report from the Department of Defense warns that not only is China responsible for many cyberattacks on the U.S. military computer systems, but that it plans to launch cyber operations that may threaten the U.S. economy, which makes the Chinese "the world's most active and persistent perpetrators of economic espionage."

China is interested in how to defend its own computer networks, but what's more troubling is that the Chinese military's ability to launch cyberattacks is becoming better.

"We note that China's investing in not only capabilities to better defend their networks, but also they're looking at ways to use cyber for offensive operations," added David Helvey, acting deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Asia security.

The People's Liberation Army has made a cyberunit to develop cyberwarfare technologies. Cyberespionage has impacted U.S. companies, which officials says has cost America billions of dollars. China's cyberespionage is a "persistent threat to U.S. economic security," according to U.S. intelligence agencies.

"Every morning in China, thousands of highly trained computer spies now wake up with one mission: Steal U.S. intellectual property that the Chinese can use to further their economic growth," Reps. Mike Rogers of Michigan and C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger of Maryland, chairman and ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said. "American companies are hemorrhaging research and development on products ranging from fighter engines, to pesticides, to cutting-edge information technology."

"I can hardly agree with the proposition that the cyberattacks directed to the United States are directly coming from China," Gen. Liang Guanglie, China's minister of national defense, said.

U.S. officials stress the importance that the Pentagon must not be caught off guard by Chinese advance in other weapon systems which include advanced submarines, space technologies, and missile defense systems. China is advancing their military capabilities, with a greater accuracy in cyberattacks.

"That is something that we have to anticipate and expect. I mean, we're paying very careful attention to China's military modernization," Helvey said. "But we've been surprised in the past, and we may very well be surprised in terms of seeing new weapons and equipment in the future."

© 2012, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.