WASHINGTON (AP) – China’s ongoing development of stealthy attack submarines should dissuade the Pentagon from cutting its own underwater fleet or closing Navy submarine bases in Connecticut and other states, Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., said Wednesday.

In a letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld released Wednesday, Dodd said the U.S. must “retain the capacity to counteract China’s expanding naval force both in the short and long term.”

Pointing to reports that the People’s Republic of China is developing a Yuan-class of diesel submarines and a nuclear attack submarine, Dodd said the U.S. Navy must retain and modernize existing bases and target more funding to new submarine technologies.

“I am very worried that if we diminish the importance of submarine technology, we may find ourselves regretting the inferior position we placed ourselves in,” Dodd said.

In his letter to Rumsfeld, Dodd said that, “China’s ambitions with respect to advanced submarine development must not be allowed to occur to the detriment of peace and security.”

In particular, Dodd said China’s advancement shows it would be unwise for the Defense Department to close the Naval Submarine Base New London in the new round of base closings. Rumsfeld is scheduled to deliver his recommended list of bases to be closed or realigned on May 16. A nine-member independent commission will review the list and make final recommendations, which would be subject to approval by Congress and the White House.

Connecticut officials say the Groton submarine base is crucial to the region because of its $2.5 billion effect on the economy.

Rumsfeld said this week that this round of closures – the fifth since 1988 – may not be as extensive as previously anticipated. He had earlier said there was up to 25 percent excess base capacity, but said it now may be less than 20 percent.

Connecticut and Rhode Island officials have been lobbying to keep the New London submarine base open. The Pentagon recommended it be shut down during the 1993 round of base closings, but that decision was overturned by the independent base closure commission.

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Associated Press Writer Lolita Baldor can be reached at: lbaldor(at)ap.org

AP-ES-03-30-05 1816EST