China is a “pacing challenge” for the United States despite Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, the Pentagon said on Thursday in its latest National Defense Strategy, asserting that it would advance its major defense partnership with India to enhance its ability to deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific area.
“The (Department of) defense will advance our Major Defense Partnership with India to enhance its ability to deter PRC (People’s Republic of China) aggression and ensure free and open access to the Indian Ocean region,” said the new document that was released by the US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin here.
According to the unclassified version of the report, China is “pacing challenge” and Russia “is an acute threat”. The strategy has been developed to meet the challenges being posed by China and it takes into account the capabilities of its global friends and allies.
