The US Army: China is the only competitor, militarily, economically, technologically and diplomatically

Bayanalysis - Globally, I understand that Asia must be the focus of our efforts. And I see China, in particular, as a quick challenge to the administration.” — Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin.

The US military prioritizes China as a top priority, as it remains the only US competitor capable of combining its economic, diplomatic, military, and technological might to mount a sustainable challenge to the international order. The rapid development and operational focus of the People's Republic of China (PRC) poses a significant and long-term security threat to the United States and our allies and partners.

This threat is the result of nearly two decades of intense efforts by China to modernize and reform the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and other forces into an increasingly capable combined force capable of conducting a full range of military operations across every battlefield.

In addition to significantly strengthening and modernizing its strategic forces, the PLA is developing its capabilities and concepts to conduct information, space, and counterspace operations.

China is also mobilizing enormous resources to become a world leader in emerging technologies and is taking advantage of these developments to support its military modernization.

China has made it clear that it expects the People's Liberation Army to be a global military player capable of securing China's foreign interests and furthering other PRC objectives abroad. These changes are accompanied by aggressive and sometimes coercive activities that seek to expand the military influence of the People's Republic of China through closer relations with foreign militaries, the development of military bases abroad, and the expansion of the PLA's presence around the world.

China's aggressive military modernization activities have, in recent decades, sought to erode the ability of U.S. forces to project power in the region, and China has continued to accelerate the development of capabilities tailored to counter the strategic and operational advantages of the United States.

The continued erosion of US military advantages over China remains the greatest risk to US security interests. If this continuous erosion is left unimpeded, it is possible

Essentially challenging our ability to achieve US defense objectives and defend the sovereignty of our allies, the result of which would be to limit the ability of the US military to support other instruments of US power.