Washington. June 10. INTERFAX-U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has issued an internal directive regarding the strategy and objectives of countering China, which the United States considers its main strategic rival, Western media reported.
"The department must now get to work," Austin said, introducing the directive from a Pentagon official.
He noted: "The initiatives I am presenting today relate to the broader U.S. government approach to China and will help develop a national defense strategy."
He said the new instructions "will enhance the ministry's ability to step up efforts to build a network of allies and partners, strengthen training, and accelerate the development of new operational concepts."
According to a Defense Ministry official, the working group identified a " gap between words and actions."
The Pentagon's operations over the past two decades have focused primarily on militants in the Middle East, rather than fighting a modern army like China's. The Pentagon's 2018 National defense Strategy identified China as a major strategic competitor, but the working group concluded that not enough had been done to address the challenges posed by Beijing.