The 2026 National Defense Strategy released by the U.S. Pentagon adopts a relatively moderate tone toward traditional adversaries China and Russia, stating "President Trump seeks a stable, peaceful, fair trade, and mutually respectful relationship with China," and makes no mention of the Taiwan issue.

The 2026 National Defense Strategy, released by the U.S. Pentagon on Friday, January 23, shows two major shifts in Pentagon policy: on one hand, emphasizing that traditional European allies should take on more defense responsibilities as Washington's support decreases, and on the other hand, adopting a relatively moderate tone toward traditional adversaries China and Russia.

Europe: The U.S. Provides Key but More Limited Support

The strategy document states that the Department of Defense will "prioritize tasks most critical to the security, freedom, and prosperity of Americans." In Europe and other theaters, "allies will take the lead against threats that are less significant to us but more significant to them, with the U.S. providing key but more limited support."

Last year, the U.S. Congress passed a defense budget-related law that is closer to traditional defense priorities. Regarding the presence of U.S. troops in Europe, the law stipulates that the total number of U.S. forces stationed under the European Command and deployed for extended periods must not be continuously below 76,000 for more than 45 days. According to the latest estimate, the number of U.S. troops currently stationed in Europe exceeds 80,000.

The new 34-page defense strategy emphasizes that it is crucial for the U.S. that its allies implement the NATO agreement to significantly increase defense spending. In the context of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and under Trump's advocacy, NATO reached an agreement last June that member states should allocate at least 3.5% of their GDP to defense. Additionally, they should invest an extra 1.5% in defense-related expenditures, such as infrastructure development.

China: A Relationship of Mutual Respect, No Mention of Taiwan

The previous National Defense Strategy was released during the Biden administration, describing China as the most decisive challenge facing Washington.

However, this new document states, "President Trump seeks a stable, peaceful, fair trade, and mutually respectful relationship with China, and has shown willingness to engage directly with Beijing to achieve these goals."

The document states, "In terms of any indicator, China is already the second most powerful country in the world," so the U.S. Department of Defense will maintain favorable military balance in the Indo-Pacific region. However, "not to dominate, humiliate, or suffocate China. Instead, our goal is far more limited and reasonable: simply to ensure that China or anyone else cannot dominate us or our allies."

The Trump administration's policy toward China does not aim for direct confrontation. This became evident in late October last year when the President met with Chinese leadership in South Korea. At that time, Trump emphasized the good relations with Beijing and sent signals of a more conciliatory approach in the trade conflict.

Especially noteworthy is that the document makes no mention of Taiwan at all.

The 2022 National Defense Strategy issued by the Biden administration described China's increasingly provocative statements and coercive activities toward Taiwan as a threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and stated that the U.S. would support Taiwan in developing "asymmetric self-defense capabilities."

The latest National Security Strategy published by the Trump administration last December mentioned Taiwan in three paragraphs, eight times, stating: "Due to its strategic location in a trade-intensive maritime area and its dominant position in semiconductor manufacturing, Taiwan naturally becomes a focal point."

Russia: Persistent but Controllable Threat

The National Defense Strategy released by the Biden administration described Russia as a "imminent threat" to the United States.

This strategy document notes that the war in Ukraine has shown that Russia possesses a large military and industrial reserve. Furthermore, Russia still holds the largest nuclear arsenal in the world.

However, the document considers Russia's threat "primarily concentrated in Eastern Europe" and "persistent but manageable." The U.S. will provide "key but more limited support" for conventional defense in Europe. The document emphasizes that the war in Ukraine must end, but "this is primarily the responsibility of Europe. Ensuring and maintaining peace therefore requires the leadership and commitment of our NATO allies."

The document states that Moscow does not have the capability to dominate Europe. The world will watch how the Kremlin leader Putin reacts to this. The U.S. emphasizes that the overall strength of the NATO member states in Europe is stronger than that of Russia, and even Germany's economic size far surpasses that of Russia.

Homeland: Border Security is National Security

Both the Biden and Trump administrations' strategy documents emphasize the importance of homeland defense, but there are significant differences in the description of the threats facing the U.S.

The Biden administration focused on threats from China and Russia, stating that these pose challenges to U.S. homeland security and public safety that are "even more dangerous than the threat of terrorism."

The Trump administration's National Defense Strategy points the finger at the previous administration, criticizing its neglect of border security, which led to a "flood of illegal immigrants" and widespread drug smuggling.

The document states, "Border security is national security." Therefore, the Pentagon "will prioritize actions to secure the border, repel various forms of incursions, and deport undocumented immigrants."

This National Defense Strategy also does not mention the risks posed by climate change – a "emerging threat" identified by the Biden administration.

Latin America: Defending American Interests Across the Western Hemisphere

Like the National Security Strategy released by the Trump administration last month, this defense strategy elevates Latin America to a priority position on the American agenda.

The document states that the Pentagon "will restore the U.S. military dominance in the Western Hemisphere. We will use this advantage to protect our homeland security and access to key areas in the region."

Following the principle of "America First," the U.S. defense focus should be on the homeland. At the same time, the document clearly indicates that the U.S. focus is not limited to its own borders: "We will simultaneously actively and fearlessly defend American interests across the entire Western Hemisphere."

The strategy states that the U.S. will ensure military and economic access to key regions, especially the Panama Canal, Greenland, and the Gulf of Mexico - referred to by the Pentagon as the "American Bay." Additionally, military operations suspected of drug trafficking are listed as a priority.

The document refers to this policy as the "Trumpian interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine," a reference to the policy announced two centuries ago by the U.S. declaring that Latin America should not be subject to interference from competing great powers.

Since regaining power last year, Trump has repeatedly used U.S. military forces in Latin America and ordered a shocking raid operation that captured Venezuelan leader Maduro and his wife, as well as targeting over 30 vessels suspected of drug trafficking, resulting in over 100 deaths.

However, the Trump administration did not provide conclusive evidence that the sunken vessels were indeed involved in drug trafficking. International law experts and human rights organizations say these attacks likely constituted extrajudicial executions because their targets were civilians who did not pose an imminent threat to the U.S.

In Line with the National Security Strategy

The National Security Strategy released by the U.S. in early December is seen as a symbol of the government's departure from the long-standing tradition of close transatlantic cooperation. The document claims that previous strategies failed to adequately consider the core national interests of the U.S., prioritizing the defense of other countries at the expense of the U.S. people. The current guiding principle is "America First."

The National Security Strategy also portrays the current political situation in the EU as a threat to American interests, specifically criticizing the so-called "democratic deficit" and "limited freedom of speech," but does not make an explicit criticism of Russia as the aggressor in the war in Ukraine.

This defense strategy appears more calm and pragmatic in tone but aligns with the security strategy in content. It was released a few days after Trump's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, which was considered to have been hostile and humiliating toward Europe.

Sources: DW combined information from AFP, AP, DPA, and other sources.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7599000008439988787/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author alone.