The Wall Street Journal published (August 24) an article by US Defence Secretary Mark Esper with the caption 'The Pentagon is prepared for China'. Stating that "long-term competition with China demands that we have a force that is able to compete, deter and win across all domains: air, land, sea, space and cyberspace", he said, "To support this effort, the Pentagon is investing in both advanced conventional capabilities and game-changing technologies such as hypersonic weapons, 5G communications, integrated air and missile defense, and artificial intelligence—all of which will be critical to maintaining our advantage for decades to come". Stating that the US is strengthening partnerships including in the maritime domain, he urged "all countries to examine—and consider curtailing—their relationships with the PLA to make sure they are not helping advance the Communist Party’s malign agenda toward our collective detriment". he added, in conclusion, that "Nations valuing freedom, human rights and the rule of law must stand together to counter the coercive role of the PLA in the Chinese Communist Party’s aggressive attempts to undermine the sovereignty of nations".
|
