American New Defense Strategy Does Not Mention Taiwan, No Longer Views China's Threat as an Urgent Priority
The U.S. Department of Defense released a new defense strategy on Friday, prioritizing the protection of the United States and the Western Hemisphere. While emphasizing "deterrence" against China, it no longer considers countering China's threat as an urgent priority.
According to reports from AFP and AP, the new U.S. defense strategy marks a break from the Pentagon's traditional strategy, emphasizing that allies should take more responsibility for their own defense, while adopting a more moderate stance towards "traditional enemies" China and Russia.
The new strategy opens by stating, "The U.S. government has long neglected or even refused to put the American people and their concrete interests first," and also criticizes European and Asian partners for their reliance on previous U.S. administrations in defense funding.
The new strategy states, "Although we will continue to be involved in European affairs now and in the future, we must and will prioritize protecting the U.S. homeland and deterring China."
The defense strategy issued during President Biden's term described China as the greatest challenge Washington faces and called Russia a "serious threat." However, the new document advocates for building a "relationship of mutual respect" with Beijing and does not mention Taiwan.
The document also describes Russia's threat as "sustained but manageable" and believes that stronger NATO allies are "fully capable of assuming the main responsibility for conventional defense in Europe."
Similarly, the Pentagon believes "South Korea is capable of taking the main responsibility for deterring North Korea, with the U.S. providing necessary but more limited support," once again reflecting the strategy of delegating regional security issues to allies.
Both the defense strategies of Presidents Biden and Trump emphasized the importance of maintaining domestic security, but their descriptions of existing threats differ significantly. In the 2026 document, the Pentagon stated: "We will prioritize taking action to close the border, repel any form of invasion, and deport undocumented immigrants."
Biden focused on China and Russia, stating that they pose a greater threat to domestic security than any terrorist threat.
Similar to the National Security Strategy released by the White House in early December 2025, this new document places Latin America at the forefront of U.S. priorities. The Pentagon states, "We will restore American military dominance on the continent. We will use this advantage to protect our homeland and ensure our ability to access key areas in the region."
The document does not mention the dangers posed by climate change, which the Biden administration had previously listed as a "new emerging threat."
Source: rfi
Original: toutiao.com/article/1855259273429056/
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