SECDEF Nominee Austin Affirms Threat From China, Will ‘Update’ National Defense Strategy
By: Mallory Shelbourne
January 19, 2021 8:24 PM
President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Defense Department plans to take another look at the National Defense Strategy should he be confirmed, he told lawmakers on Tuesday.
Testifying in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee as part of his nomination process, retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin emphasized his focus on the threat posed by China and said he would revisit the National Defense Strategy should lawmakers confirm him to lead the Pentagon.
“I think much of the document is absolutely on track for today’s challenges, Mr. Chairman. As is the case with all strategies — if confirmed — one of the things that I would look to do is to work to update the strategy and work within the confines of the guidance and the policy issued by the next administration,†Austin told Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.).
https://news.usni.org/2021/01/19/secdef-nominee-austin-affirms-threat-from-china-will-update-national-defense-strategy#more-82854
