These are the Chinese military advancements that could shift the balance of power in Asia

The Chengdu J-20 is China's fifth-generation fighter, its response to the US F-35 and the Russian T-50. The J-20 is a stealth aircraft that is currently in its fourth round of prototypes.

The J-20 bears striking resemblance to the F-35 and the F-22, likely due to data theft and Chinese imitation of the designs of both planes. China may have stolen the design specifications needed to give the J-20 stealth capabilities that are on par with the F-35.

Although the plane is estimated to have a striking range of 1,000 nautical miles, the aircraft itself is still reliant upon Russian engines and is in a relatively early stage of its development.

The Shenyang J-31 is the other Chinese fifth-generation aircraft currently in development.

Unlike the J-20, which is heavily based on stolen American plans, the J-31 boasts an indigenous design. The plane is about the same size as the F-35 but has a smaller weapons bay — giving the J-31 improved fuel efficiency and speed at the expense of some firepower.

The J-31 is also designed to be deployable to China's planned fleet of aircraft carriers. It would join the F-35 as the only two carrier-based stealth fighters in the world.

The J-31 is scheduled to make its public debut at China's largest commercial and defense airshow in Zhuhai in early November.

The Shenyang J-15 is a carrier-based fighter aircraft that debuted in 2009. In a 2014 report to Congress, the Pentagon noted that the Fying Shark was conducting full-stops and takeoffs from China's Liaoning aircraft carrier with full weapons payloads.

When operating from a ground base, the J-15 should have a combat radius of about 1,200 kilometers. However, since the Liaoning does not provide a useful catapult launch, the aircraft will have a reduced range while operating at sea, the Pentagon reported.

The Chinese-produced J-15 is based on designs of the Russian Sukhoi Su-33. The plane is a Russian-type design fitted with Chinese radar, engines, and weapons.

The Chengdu J-10 is a multi-role fighter that was introduced into service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force in 2005. The Firebird, also known as Vigorous Dragon, has 11 external hardpoints which can carry a variety of air-to-air missiles. It can also be equipped with laser-guided bombs.

The Chinese have recently unveiled an updated version of the J-10, the J-10B. This edition of the plane is equivalent to a fourth-generation-plus airframe, due to the plane's advanced radar system and its other onboard technology.

Pakistan has imported J-10s from China, and is in talks to purchase the J-10B as well.

The Xian H-6 Bomber is derived from the Russian Tupolev Tu-16 Badger. The bombers have two upgraded variants, the X-6G and the H-6K, that could both pose a threat to US interests in the Pacific.

According to a Pentagon report to Congress, the X-6G has four weapon hardpoints that could carry anti-ship cruise missiles. The newer H-6K has new engines and can carry six anti-ship or land cruise missiles. The bombers can carry nuclear payloads as well.

These upgrades give China a long-range-capable strategic bomber. The Xian H-6 can fly missions of 3,100 miles in distance, and some analysts believe it could reach Hawaii.

China has conducted two tests of its hypersonic glide vehicle, the Wu-14.

Hypersonic "boost-glide" weapons are launched by rockets similar to ballistic missiles. But they reenter the earth's atmosphere while moving several times faster than the speed of sound — and can glide at angles that make them highly accurate and nearly impossible to intercept using existing anti-missile systems.

The missiles are highly coveted by both the US and China for their ability to quickly hit targets as well as avoid missile defense shields.

The technology is still unproven on both sides of the Pacific, though: in August of 2014, both the US and China conducted unsuccessful boost-glide missile tests.

One of China's top strategic goals is projecting maritime power beyond the Chinese coastline. Beijing's growing fleet of nuclear-powered attack submarines is at the forefront of this strategy.

In total, China has six attack vessels which operate alongside an estimated 53 diesel-powered subs. The diesel submarines are limited in range and must surface regularly. But the nuclear powered subs can operate for weeks at a time underwater, far away from Chinese territory — and closer to possible targets.

Chinese attack submarines entered the Indian Ocean for the first time in October of 2014, marking another significant milestone in China's naval development.

China has also been developing a fleet of nuclear subs that carry and launch ballistic missiles.

These subs, known as "boomers," function as nuclear deterrents. They provide China with a "second strike" nuclear attack capability, since they are able to carry out retaliatory attacks following a nuclear exchange that might destroy the country's land-based nuclear delivery systems.

According to the WSJ, the boomers are capable of hitting Hawaii and Alaska from the coast of China, while the submarines' nuclear missiles could target the continental US from the mid-Pacific.

The US Office of Naval Intelligence currently estimates that China has three boomers, although Beijing will may build more if the submarines successfully enter into service.

Currently, China has only one aircraft carrier in its navy, the Liaoning. It's a refurbished Soviet-built vessel that's had an array of problems. The Liaoning is several decades old and of questionable quality — it suffered an unexpected power outage during sea trials in October of 2014.

There is a widespread sense, though, that the Liaoning is merely a practice carrier for the Chinese Navy. China is using the low-cost Liaoning to master the establishment of carrier battle groups before purchasing and developing more expensive and capable vessels.

There are reports that China is planning on developing three carrier battle groups in what would be a significant ramping-up of naval force projection.

China has engaged in at least one confirmed anti-satellite missile test. In January 2007, China destroyed one of its own weather satellites with a ground-based ballistic missile. The destruction of the satellite created a debris cloud that littered Earth's orbit.

Since then, China has carried out a number of other, less-dramatic tests which the US has characterized as anti-satellite missile exercises.

Anti-satellite missiles could give China an asymmetric advantage over US forces, as China could hypothetically target and destroy GPS satellites. Beijing has the means to do something that many of the world's other developed militaries would never seriously contemplate doing, given the potentially disastrous consequences of an anti-satellite strike for the world's space infrastructure.

China has dedicated considerable resources to developing a range of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).

In August, China tested the Dong Feng 5A (DF-5A). The DF-5A has a range of 13,000 kilometers and is capable of striking the US.

China has also developed the Dong Feng-41 (DF-41), a weapon with the potential to alter the balance of power in Asia. The DF-41 could carry up to ten nuclear warheads a range of 7,400 miles. This would allow the missile to reach the US, serving as a significant deterrent against moves that China would interpret as US aggression and serving a possible constraint on American action in the region.

China's DF-5A and DF-41 can only be fired from a stationary launch pad. But Beijing also has a road-mobile ICBM — the Dong Feng 31A (DF-31A). The DF-31A has a range of 7,000 to 7,400 miles, putting US territory within range. It can also be fitted with certain types of nuclear payloads.

The DF-31A could be loaded into China's growing fleet of "boomer" nuclear submarines. This would allow the missile to function as a sea-based nuclear deterrent — even after a nuclear exchange China could continue to launch missiles from hidden locations in the ocean.

One of China's most useful military assets is its army of hackers and hacker affiliates. In June, China pulled off one of the most audacious cyber attacks in history when it breached the US's Office of Personnel Management, the federal department that handles security clearances and other sensitive employee information. The incident compromised the data of as many as 22 million people.

Chinese hackers have ransacked other US systems too, stealing vital information relating to the F-35, the P-8 reconnaissance aircraft, Black Hawk helicopters, ballistic missiles, and the Littoral Combat System.

Chinese hackers have even targeted Israel's Iron Dome missile defense battery. Hackers attempted to steal plans for the system in 2011 and 2012, highlighting the global nature of China's cyber ambitions.

These attacks are not focused solely on military technology, as the OPM hack demonstrates. Chinese hackers often routinely steal information from businesses, possibly causing sizable damage to the US economy.

The Type 055 Cruiser, which is still under construction, will give China's Navy a considerable boost once it's deployed. The cruiser will function as a multipurpose warship that could be used for both expeditionary warfare as well as coastal defense.

The 055 will be a large cruiser by Chinese standards, although it will still be smaller than the US's Zumwalt-class destroyer. Even so, the 055 could carry an estimated 128 vertical launch cells for cruise missile deployment. This would allow the cruiser to strike far into enemy territory. And because of its size, the ship expected to be able to function far from its home port, giving China the ability to project hard power far from the country's shoreline.

In November 2013, China successfully completed a test flight of Sharp Sword, a stealth combat drone. The success of the flight places China alongside the US, France, and Great Britain as the only countries that have reached this military threshold.

China has revealed little information about its unmanned aerial vehicle programs. However, it is thought that China has a range of drones, from small tactical vehicles to models that look alarmingly like the US 's Reaper and Predator.