Biden unveils Pentagon âChina task forceâ to review âchallengeâ Beijing poses as US military flexes muscles at its doorstep
Russia Today – Staff – 10 Feb, 2021
President Joe Biden has launched a military task force to assess US policy toward Beijing, vowing to confront the âChina challengeâ as he continues his predecessorâs naval deployments in the countryâs backyard.
Biden announced the new task force during a Pentagon visit on Wednesday, his first to the department, declaring that his administration would âmeet the growing challenges posed by China to keep peace and defend our interests.â
âIt will require a whole of government efforts, bipartisan cooperation in Congress and strong alliances and partners,â Biden said of the policy review, which will assess âstrategy and operational concepts, technology, and force posture.â
“That is how we will meet the China challenge and ensure the American people win the competition of the future.”
Led by Eli Ratner, who serves as special assistant on China to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the task force will be composed of 15 civilian and uniformed defense officials and will deliver its findings to Austin within four months, according to a Pentagon fact sheet, which dubbed the project a âsprint effort.â The panel is not expected to produce a publicly available report, however.
While Biden said the new task force would conduct a sweeping review of Washingtonâs posture toward Beijing, it is unclear to what extent US policy will depart from that of the Donald Trump administration. Taking office just four weeks ago, the new president has already embarked on much of the same sabre rattling as his predecessor, fielding a pair of aircraft carrier strike groups into the South China Sea on Tuesday, and a guided-missile destroyer near the Chinese-controlled Paracel Islands days earlier. Trumpâs Pentagon frequently carried out the same type of âfreedom of navigationâ missions, repeatedly condemned as provocative by China.
Bidenâs first major foreign policy address took a combative stance toward Beijing, who he dubbed Americaâs âmost serious competitorâ while echoing rhetoric reminiscent of Trumpâs on Chinaâs alleged âeconomic abusesâ and âattackâ on intellectual property. In announcing the China task force on Wednesday, the president went even further in his vows to confront Beijing, warning that he would ânever hesitate to use force,â though nonetheless said military action should be a âlast resort.â
Posted by Teri Perticone
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