WASHINGTON – President Biden launched a Pentagon review of the national security aspects of the government’s Chinese strategy as part of a broader effort by the government to define its approach to counter Beijing.
Mr. Biden described the effort Wednesday during his first visit as Commander in Chief to the Pentagon, where he met with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley and other top officials.
A Chinese task force will study the military’s footprint in Asia, technology, intelligence, the role of allies and partnerships and other areas of the strategy, officials said.
The group will be operating for the next few months and will be led by Mr. Austin’s top assistant for China, Ely Ratner, a longtime Biden assistant and China specialist. The task force will include more than a dozen civilian and military officers from across the Department of Defense, including policy officers and members of the joint staff, the officials said. It is expected to make a series of recommendations to Mr. Austin by the beginning of the summer, a US official said.
The idea behind the task force is to coordinate the various functions of the government, including economic, political, diplomatic and military aspects, to form a coherent policy to counter China, which is seen as a major competitor to the US on economic, political and security issues, officials said. .