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Pentagon issues directive to revitalize alliances to counter China
The directive was based on the final recommendations from the Defense Department's task force on China, whose launch was announced in February by President Joe Biden. But details of the initiatives, some of which will remain classified, are unclear.
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Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks during a visit by US President Joe Biden to the Pentagon in Washington, DC, February 10, 2021. (Agence France Presse/Saul Loeb)
D
efense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday issued an internal directive toward revitalizing the US network of allies and bolstering deterrence to better address the security challenges posed by China.
The directive was based on the final recommendations from the Defense Department's task force on China, whose launch was announced in February by President Joe Biden. But details of the initiatives, some of which will remain classified, are unclear.
"Many (of the initiatives) are intended to streamline and strengthen cooperation with US allies and partners, particularly in the Indo-Pacific," the department said in a press release.
Austin said in the press release that the efforts he was directing "will improve the department's ability to revitalize our network of allies and partners, bolster deterrence, and accelerate the development of new operational concepts."
The Biden administration has emphasized the value of alliances and multilateralism, which it believes were undermined during his predecessor Donald Trump's four years of unilateralist foreign policy under the "America First" mantra.
China's growing assertiveness has been a concern for the United States, including in the East and South China seas, where Beijing has been stepping up territorial claims, and over Taiwan.
China regards the self-ruled democratic island as a renegade province to be reunited with the mainland by force if necessary.
The China Task Force was led by Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Ely Ratner and was joined by civilian and uniformed Defense Department employees.
