United States Department of Defense China Task Force

Last updated
Chinese leader Xi Jinping and then-US Vice President Joe Biden in 2015. Announcing a Defense Department China Task Force in 2021, Biden said it would help the US "win the competition of the future." Xi said that China sought cooperation and that confrontation would be catastrophic. Joe Biden and Xi Jinping.jpg
Chinese leader Xi Jinping and then-US Vice President Joe Biden in 2015. Announcing a Defense Department China Task Force in 2021, Biden said it would help the US "win the competition of the future." Xi said that China sought cooperation and that confrontation would be catastrophic.

The United States Department of Defense China Task Force was announced by the United States president Joe Biden on February 10, 2021. [1] [2] Biden said the task force would help the United States "win the competition of the future" with China. [1] According to the DOD News service, the task force will be led by Ely Ratner, an assistant to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III. [2] [3] On the day the task force was announced, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said that China sought cooperation with the United States, but that confrontation would be "definitely catastrophic for both countries and the world." [4]

Contents

Background

Trump administration

A "China task force" was first announced by Republican Party congressmen to the United States House of Representatives in May 2020, and was composed of 15 Republican representatives. [5] In September 2020, the task force unveiled over 400 policy recommendations for the United States concerning China, recommending a focus on human rights in China, the COVID-19 pandemic, and China's growing influence in the world. [5] The task force was led by Republican Mike McCaul of Texas, who was at the time the senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. [5]

Biden administration

According to the Financial Times and the German Tagesschau , US-China relations were at their lowest point in four decades when Biden took the office of US president in 2021, and Biden indicated his administration would continue a "tough posture towards Beijing." [4] [6] CNBC stated that China became more influential in global commerce and international relations prior to the creation of the task force. [7] A former Trump official who helped shape a more aggressive foreign policy stance towards China, Elbridge Colby, endorsed the work of the task force, saying that the Biden administration had "downplay[ed] the importance of hard power." [6] Another Trump advisor, director of the Hudson Institute Michael Pillsbury, also endorsed the task force, saying "If China is our main challenge, we’re going to need a new command structure and some kind of czar over all the [Pentagon] units involved in our relationship with China." [1]

Announcing the creation of the task force, US President Biden described China as the "most serious competitor" of America, and said that the task force would allow the United States to "win the competition in the future." [7] According to Biden, the task force would help defend American interests in Asia and globally. [3] Biden officials had criticized China over disagreements regarding Hong Kong, the Xinjiang region, and Taiwan before the creation of the task force. [6]

US Military view

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and his deputy secretary Kathleen Hicks have described China as a "pacing threat" to the United States. [2] Before the creation of the China task force, the US military conducted maneuvers in the South China sea using two aircraft carriers, the USS Nimitz and the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71). [6] In widely reported statements, Austin said that if China intends to build a military comparable to that of the United States by 2050, "I intend to make sure that never happens." [4] [8]

Chinese view

In a phone call between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Biden hours after the announcement of the task force, Xi said that cooperation between the US and China was preferable, and that confrontation would be "definitely catastrophic for both countries and the world." [4]

Structure

The task force will be composed of 15 members drawn from the US Army, the US intelligence community, and the offices of the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. [2] [7] It will be directed by Pentagon official Ely Ratner. [6] Ratner had earlier worked for the US State Department on Chinese and Mongolian affairs, and had later worked as Biden's deputy national security advisor. [1]

Operations

Diplomatic

The task force was announced hours before a phone call between US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. [1] [8] On the same day, US officials met with a Taiwanese representative in the US, and the US State Department announced it would be "deepening ties with Taiwan." [1] The statement said that alliances would be an important method of US competition against China and a focus of the task force. [1]

Military

According to US Defense Department officials, the task force would address issues including the deployment of military forces, intelligence, and alliances. [2] [6]

Announcing the creation of the task force, the DOD News service said that the United States would conduct military operations in the waters surrounding China. [2]

The Pentagon announced that the task force would deliver a report, which would not be made public, to Lloyd Austin and some members of Congress within four months. [3] [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China–United States relations</span> Bilateral relations

The relationship between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the United States of America (USA) has been complex and at times tense since the establishment of the PRC and the retreat of the government of the Republic of China to Taiwan in 1949. Since the normalization of relations in the 1970s, the US–China relationship has been marked by numerous perennial disputes including the political status of Taiwan, territorial disputes in the South China Sea, and more recently the treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang. They have significant economic ties and are significantly intertwined, yet they also have a global hegemonic great power rivalry. As of 2024, China and the United States are the world's second-largest and largest economies by nominal GDP, as well as the largest and second-largest economies by GDP (PPP) respectively. Collectively, they account for 44.2% of the global nominal GDP, and 34.7% of global PPP-adjusted GDP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Space Command</span> Unified command of the U.S. Department of Defense

United States Space Command is a unified combatant command of the United States Department of Defense, responsible for military operations in outer space, specifically all operations 100 kilometers and greater above mean sea level. U.S. Space Command is responsible for the operational employment of space forces that are provided by the uniformed services of the Department of Defense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael McCaul</span> American politician & lawyer (born 1962)

Michael Thomas McCaul Sr. is an American attorney, politician and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Texas's 10th congressional district. A member of the Republican Party, he chaired the House Committee on Homeland Security during the 113th, 114th, and 115th Congresses. His district stretches from Austin to Houston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lloyd Austin</span> Retired U.S. Army general and served as the 33rd Vice Chief of Staff of the Army

Lloyd James Austin III is a retired United States Army four-star general who has served as the 28th and current United States Secretary of Defense since January 22, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States foreign policy toward the People's Republic of China</span>

The United States foreign policy toward the People's Republic of China originated during the Cold War. At that time, the U.S. had a containment policy against communist states. The leaked Pentagon Papers indicated the efforts by the U.S. to contain China through military actions undertaken in the Vietnam War. The containment policy centered around an island chain strategy. President Richard Nixon's China rapprochement signaled a shift in focus to gain leverage in containing the Soviet Union. Formal diplomatic ties between the U.S. and China were established in 1979, and with normalized trade relations since 2000, the U.S. and China have been linked by closer economic ties and more cordial relations. In his first term as U.S. president, Barack Obama said, "We want China to succeed and prosper. It's good for the United States if China continues on the path of development that it's on".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taiwan–United States relations</span> Bilateral relations

After the United States established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1979 and recognized Beijing as the only legal government of China, Taiwan–United States relations became unofficial and informal following terms of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), which allows the United States to have relations with the Taiwanese people and their government, whose name is not specified. U.S.–Taiwan relations were further informally grounded in the Six Assurances in response to the third communiqué on the establishment of US–PRC relations. The Taiwan Travel Act, passed by the U.S. Congress on March 16, 2018, allows high-level U.S. officials to visit Taiwan and vice versa. Both sides have since signed a consular agreement formalizing their existent consular relations on September 13, 2019. The US government removed self-imposed restrictions on executive branch contacts with Taiwan on January 9, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Cyber Command</span> Unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for cyber operations

United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense (DoD). It unifies the direction of cyberspace operations, strengthens DoD cyberspace capabilities, and integrates and bolsters DoD's cyber expertise which focus on securing cyberspace.

The Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee, also referred to as the Defense Policy Board, is a federal advisory committee to the United States Department of Defense. Its charter is available online through the office of the Director of Administration and Management of the Department of Defense. The committee type is discretionary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quadrilateral Security Dialogue</span> Strategic dialogue between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States

The Quad is a grouping of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States that is maintained by talks between member countries. The grouping was initiated in 2007 by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with the support of Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney. The dialogue was paralleled by joint military exercises of an unprecedented scale, titled Exercise Malabar. The diplomatic and military arrangement was widely viewed as a response to increased Chinese economic and military power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beijing–Washington hotline</span> Direct communication system between China and the United States

The Beijing–Washington hotline is a system that allows direct communication between the leaders of the United States and China. This hotline was established in November 2007, when both countries announced that they would set up a military hotline to avoid misunderstanding between their militaries during any moments of crisis in the Pacific.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Norquist</span> American government official (born 1966)

David Lutz Norquist is an American financial management professional and former government official who served as the 34th United States deputy secretary of defense from 2019 to 2021. In May of 2022, Norquist was selected as the president and chief executive officer of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Esper</span> American politician and manufacturing executive (born 1964)

Mark Thomas Esper is an American politician and manufacturing/high-tech executive who served as the 27th United States secretary of defense from 2019 to 2020. A member of the Republican Party, he had previously served as the 23rd U.S. secretary of the Army from November 2017 to July 2019.

The Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security Regarding Military Service by Transgender Individuals is the 43rd presidential memorandum signed by U.S. President Donald Trump on March 23, 2018.

The foreign policy of Xi Jinping concerns the policies of the People's Republic of China's Xi Jinping with respect to other nations. Xi became the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party in 2012 and became the President of the People's Republic of China in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathleen Hicks</span> American government official (born 1970)

Kathleen Anne Holland Hicks is an American civil servant who has served as the United States deputy secretary of defense since 2021. She is the first Senate-confirmed woman in this role and is the highest ranking woman to have served in the United States Department of Defense.

The foreign policy of the Joe Biden administration emphasizes the repair of the United States' alliances, which Biden argues were damaged during the Trump administration. The administration's goal is to restore the United States to a "position of trusted leadership" among global democracies in order to address challenges posed by Russia and China. Both Biden and his Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin have repeatedly emphasized that no other world power should be able to surpass the United States, either militarily or economically. Biden's foreign policy has been described as having ideological underpinnings in mid-twentieth century liberal internationalism, American exceptionalism, and pragmatism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ely Ratner</span> American political scientist (born 1977)

Ely Stefansky Ratner is an American political scientist currently serving as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs in the Biden administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sasha Baker</span> American political adviser

Alexandra Nicole Baker, known as Sasha Baker, is an American policy advisor who served as deputy under secretary of defense for policy at the Department of Defense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Chinese military exercises around Taiwan</span>

The 2022 Chinese military exercises around Taiwan were a series of military exercises by the People's Republic of China (PRC) that encircled Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC). They initially lasted from 4–7 August 2022 and involved live-fire drills, air sorties, naval deployments, and ballistic missile launches by the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The exercises started in response to US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Churchill, Owen (11 February 2021). "Biden announces new Pentagon task force to evaluate China-related strategy, tech and operations". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Garamone, Jim. "Biden Announces DOD China Task Force". DOD News. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Günerigök, Servet (11 February 2021). "Biden forms China task force to meet growing challenges". Al Andalou. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Biden puts pressure on China". Tagesschau. 11 February 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 Brufke, Juliegrace; Kelly, Laura (30 September 2020). "House GOP China task force releases recommendations". The Hill. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sevastopulo, Demetri; Manson, Katrina (11 February 2021). "Joe Biden creates Pentagon task force on China". Financial Times. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Macias, Amanda. "Biden unveils Pentagon group to evaluate U.S. strategy for dealing with China". CNBC. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Biden calls China's head of state Xi for the first time". Die Welt. AP. 11 February 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.