The report has generated controversy in the Bush administration because of earlier drafts that concerned National Security Council officials by painting what they saw as an overly antagonistic picture of China, according to two people with knowledge of the report.
There were also concerns that the report could complicate US efforts to work with China to encourage North Korea to return to the negotiating table over its nuclear programme.
Late on Tuesday a senior government official said the controversy did not concern content but only its “presentation”.
He said it was important to emphasise that the report presented a “range of outcomes” that could materialise along with China's economic growth.
President George W. Bush came to office in 2001 calling China a “strategic competitor” rather than a “strategic partner”, the term favoured by the Clinton administration.
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