The incumbent US administration has named China as its main threat andrival, representing the greatest danger to the United States. Since theprevious administration of Donald Trump, the US has exerted significantdiplomatic and economic pressure on China over a range of issues, includingtrade and military development.
US President Joe Biden told the country’s military service members thatChinese leader Xi Jinping link isconvinced that China will “own America” in the next 10-15 years.
Speaking at the joint base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Virginia on Friday,the president said that the US is in “a battle between democracies andautocracies,” as he repeated his recalling of spending more time with Xi”than any world leader has,” since it was “24 hours of private meetingswith him with just an interpreter; 17,000 miles traveling with him in Chinaand here.”
“He firmly believes that China, before the year ’30, ’35, is going to ownAmerica because autocracies can make quick decisions,” Biden noted.
However, the president went on to assure the audience that “America isunique.”
Earlier in the day, the Biden administration proposed a federal budget planfor the fiscal year 2022. Under the proposal, approximately $1.9 trillionis funded to battle Iranian, Chinese, and Russian “influence” over most ofEurope and Eurasia, with a strong focus on the Middle East, while theexistential contest for the US remains with China, according to the WhiteHouse.
Thus, around $155 million will be used to keep the US’ “Countering PRCMalign Influence Fund” operational. The money for the continuing programwill “deter aggression, coercion, and malign influence by state andnon-state actors,” according to the plan.
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The United States, among other things, notes the growing pace ofmodernization and production of new weapons in China, therefore, thedefense budget proposal was estimated at $715 billion, including nuclearmodernization, which includes the creation of new submarines and long-rangebombers, which will receive $27.7 billion, while another $20.4 billion willbe spent on missile defenses, such as sea-based systems, to improve andsustain them.
The administration also proposed to increase financing for hypersonicweaponry to $238 million, $52 million up from the previous fiscal year.
Moreover, Biden’s 2022 defense budget includes $5.1 billion for the USmilitary’s Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI) meant to increase the UnitedStates’ readiness and capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region.
These investments would be used to demonstrate the US commitment topreserving a free and open Indo-Pacific, building forces that are ready torespond to aggression, and strengthening partnerships with allies in theregion, the budget said in accordance with the Biden’s administrationstrategic vision.
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