In a “message” to the troops that was posted yesterday, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper bragged about how great of a job he is doing implementing the 2018 National Defense Strategy, particularly its anti-Russia and anti-China provisions, since he took office nearly a year ago. “During my confirmation hearing last July, I made clear that my top priority would be implementing the National Defense Strategy, which informs us that we are now in an era of Great Power Competition; and that China, then Russia, constitute our top strategic competitors,” he said. Some will argue that what the Pentagon has actually accomplished is to bring the United States closer to war with China.
Esper included a list of ten goals which were developed when he took office, the first of which is “Review, update, and approve all China and Russia plans.” The seventh goal, directly related to the first, is “Focus the Department on China.” That seventh goal is “the priority that drives and underlies many of our efforts today — is to focus the Department on China,” Esper said. “To do this, we established a China Strategy Management Group to push that agenda forward. I also directed the National Defense University to refocus its curriculum by dedicating 50 percent of the coursework to the P.R.C., and I tasked the Military Departments and Services to make China the pacing threat in all of our schools, programs, and training.”
