Biden Calls for Review of National Security Strategy on China During Pentagon Visit

February 11, 2021 by TWN Staff
Biden Calls for Review of National Security Strategy on China During Pentagon Visit
President Joe Biden speaks to Department of Defense personnel alongside Vice President Kamala Harris and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Wednesday called on the Pentagon to conduct a review of of the United States’ national security strategy on China.

The decision, announced during the president’s first visit to the Defense Department, comes amid a growing recognition that the U.S. faces increasing challenges posed by China’s modernized and more assertive military.

Defense Department officials told reporters accompanying the president that the review would weigh U.S. intelligence, troop levels in the region, defense alliances with China and more.

Biden said the task force would “work quickly, drawing on civilian and
military experts across the Department” and make recommendations to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin “so that we can chart a strong path forward on China-related matters.”

“It will require a whole-of-government effort, bipartisan cooperation in Congress, and strong alliances and partnerships,” the president continued.

“That’s how we’ll meet the China challenge and ensure the American people win the competition of the future,” he said.

Biden is determined to depart from President Donald Trump’s approach to China — a relationship that placed economic and trade concerns above all else and then effectively crashed and burned after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

During his remarks, Biden told Pentagon personnel “there is no aspect of our agenda of the 21st century leadership where the women and men of the Defense Department do not have a role — whether it’s helping curb the pandemic here at home and around the world; or addressing the real threats of climate change that already is costing us billions in impacts on our bases, on our national security; or being part of an ongoing fight for racial justice.”

“You are essential to how we must rethink and reprioritize our security to meet the challenges of this century, not the last,” he said.

“We need to take on the dangers and opportunities of emerging technologies, enhance our capabilities in cyberspace, ensure that we are positioned to lead in a new era of competition, from deep sea to outer space,” Biden added. “And we need to meet the growing challenges posed by China to keep the peace and defend our interests in the Indo-Pacific and globally.”

The China task force is to present its findings to Austin within four months. No final public report is anticipated, but Pentagon officials will discuss recommendations with Congress and others, officials said.

A+
a-
  • China
  • Joe Biden
  • National Security
  • Pentagon
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Geopolitics

    House Republicans and Democrats Say the US Must Maintain Its Troop Totals in Europe

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican and Democratic members of the House Armed Services Committee voiced sharp bipartisan criticism Tuesday about reports... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican and Democratic members of the House Armed Services Committee voiced sharp bipartisan criticism Tuesday about reports the Trump administration is eyeing a reduction of U.S. forces in Europe, saying America must stick with its NATO allies. Rep. Michael Rogers, R-Mich., the panel’s chairman,... Read More

    Change in Itinerary for US Vice President JD Vance Brings Cautious Relief for Greenland and Denmark

    Greenland and Denmark appeared cautiously relieved early Wednesday by the news that U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his wife are changing... Read More

    Greenland and Denmark appeared cautiously relieved early Wednesday by the news that U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his wife are changing their itinerary for their visit to Greenland Friday, reducing the likelihood that they will cross paths with residents angered by the Trump administration’s attempts to annex... Read More

    Arab Leaders Gather to Endorse Counterproposal to Trump's Gaza Plan, With Ceasefire's Fate Uncertain

    CAIRO (AP) — Arab leaders meeting in Cairo on Tuesday are set to endorse a counterproposal to U.S. President Donald... Read More

    CAIRO (AP) — Arab leaders meeting in Cairo on Tuesday are set to endorse a counterproposal to U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for the Gaza Strip to be depopulated and transformed into a beach destination, even as the continuation of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire is uncertain. The summit hosted by... Read More

    EU Ponders €800B Plan to Beef Up Defenses to Counter Possible US Disengagement

    BRUSSELS (AP) — The chief of the European Union's executive on Tuesday proposed an 800 billion-euro ($841 billion) plan to... Read More

    BRUSSELS (AP) — The chief of the European Union's executive on Tuesday proposed an 800 billion-euro ($841 billion) plan to beef up the defenses of EU nations, aiming to lessen the impact of potential U.S. disengagement and provide Ukraine with military muscle to negotiate with Russia following the freeze... Read More

    February 5, 2025
    by Dan McCue
    Trump Says US Should Take Over Gaza, Turn It Into ‘Riviera of Middle East’

    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Tuesday night that the United States should take “ownership” of Gaza, turning it into... Read More

    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Tuesday night that the United States should take “ownership” of Gaza, turning it into “the Riviera of the Middle East” after its population of 1.8 million Palestinians is moved to other countries in the region. “The only reason the Palestinians... Read More

    US Aid Was Long a Lifeline for Eastern Europe. Trump Cuts Are Sending Shockwaves Through the Region

    CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — President Donald Trump’s abrupt freeze of U.S. foreign aid is sending shockwaves through Eastern Europe, leaving... Read More

    CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — President Donald Trump’s abrupt freeze of U.S. foreign aid is sending shockwaves through Eastern Europe, leaving pro-democracy groups, independent media, civil society initiatives and local governments scrambling to make ends meet in a region often defined by rivalries between East and West.... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top