The Pentagon thinks again. China is an enemy but not too much: "Objective to dialogue"

Tough on the restless Latin American neighbors, soft on the Chinese. ThePentagonredesigns the approach ofUnited Statesto the direct geostrategic competitor and models it on the basis of the document adopted byWhite Houseat the end of last year. The overall objective is to establish a “strategic stability” in the regionIndo-Pacificand reduce tensions withChinese armed forces. The War Department document, released last night, comes as PresidentTrumpis preparing for an eagerly awaited summit in April with the Chinese leaderXi Jinpingand while the White House tries to lower the tension onTaiwan.

The Pentagon, notes the Wall Street Journal, underlines that the pre-eminence of the United States inwestern hemisphere è una priorityand signals that the administration’s longer-term goalTrumpis to reduce one’s ownmilitary rolein Europe, the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East.

Focus on national defense and Indo-Pacific

“As U.S. forces focus on thedefense of the national territoryand on the Indo-Pacific, our allies and partners elsewhere will take on theprimary responsibilityof its defense, with crucial but more limited support from American forces,” it said.

The Pentagon’s 2018 strategy and “revisionist” China

The 2018 Pentagon strategy, published during the first term ofTrump alla White Housedescribed theChinain much harsher terms. It defined at the timeBeijinga power”revisionist” which, together with theRussiahe was trying to get some sort of “right of veto” on the economic, diplomatic and security decisions of other countries.

New approach: dialogue and stability

On the contrary, thenew strategic document del Pentagonhighlights the administration’s interest in opening moremilitary communication channelsbetween the parties and to reduce tensions to establish abalance of power nell’Indo-Pacific. The goal would be to reach “onedignified peaceon conditions favorable to the Americans but which alsoChinacan accept and live with.”

The national defense strategy

La national defense strategyis published every four years and serves to guide decisions ondeployment of forcesand development ofnew weapon systems. Many of its themes had already been outlined in December, when theWhite House ha diffuso la national security strategywhich harshly criticized European leaders and reiterated the attention ofTrump per l’western hemisphere e il Pacific.

Taiwan and the First Island Chain

The Pentagon strategy does not explicitly mentionTaiwanhowever he states that theUS military“They will stand together.”solid defense lungo la First Island Chain“, a sequence of islands that includes Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines.

Armaments for Taiwan and deterrence

If, unlike President Biden, Trump has never said he is ready to use force to defend Taiwan, his administration has approved aarmaments package da 11 billion dollars for the islandand much of the Pentagon’s spending and drive for advanced technologies has been presented as a way to dissuade Beijing from trying to take control of Taiwan and from pressuring US allies in the region.

Military communications with China

After aggressive Chinese naval maneuvers nel South China Seaand tensions with Japan for having ‘targeted’ some of Tokyo’s F-15s with shooting radars, the Pentagon’s strategy states that it wants to “open a wider range ofmilitary-to-military communications con l’People’s Liberation Army” to avoidinvoluntary clashesand ease tensions.

Expert skepticism

Some experts said the Pentagon’s hope to involve theChinese armyin discussions about how to reduce tensions is unlikely to succeed. “Beijing will not accept any meaningful crisis management mechanism, because theChinawants to increase the risk forUS forcesoperating off the coast of theChinese coast“he told the WSJZach Coopera senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who has worked at the Pentagon and the National Security Council.