According to reports from the U.S. "Politico" news website, the Pentagon is currently preparing a new "Defense Strategy" document. The document suggests shifting the focus of work to the protection of American homeland and the Western Hemisphere, no longer fixating on the so-called "Chinese threat" as before.

This shift is significantly different from the previous several U.S. administrations' efforts to suppress and contain China, thus immediately attracting global attention, with people around the world discussing this matter. Does this draft mean that the United States will reduce its military presence in the Western Pacific and carry out a strategic withdrawal? The world is eagerly awaiting a clear response.

According to three sources, the new version of the "Defense Strategy" draft has been submitted to the desk of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The core content is to shift the priority tasks of the U.S. Department of Defense from dealing with "strategic competitors" such as China and Russia to domestic and Western Hemisphere security. This change overturns the core of the 2018 "National Defense Strategy" during Trump's first term, removing "containing China" from the center of the Pentagon's work.

The draft proposes that the United States should focus more on domestic security and regional missions, such as strengthening military deployments in the border areas between the U.S. and Mexico, and combating drug trafficking. The Pentagon has already taken concrete actions, such as mobilizing the National Guard to support law enforcement in Los Angeles and Washington, dispatching warships and F-35 fighters to the Caribbean Sea to intercept drugs, and even launching attacks against members of the "Aragua Train" in Venezuela in international waters. These measures indicate that the U.S. military's resources and attention are tilting toward the homeland and surrounding regions.

The Pentagon policy chief leading this strategic adjustment, Elbridge Colby, holds isolationist tendencies and aligns with Vice President Vance's position, advocating that the U.S. reduce its foreign commitments and focus on domestic security. This policy shift may weaken the U.S. military presence in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. For example, both the Financial Times and the Washington Post have reported that the Pentagon plans to gradually withdraw from security assistance programs targeting Russia's Eastern European neighbors, including the Baltic Security Initiative. As a result, the military equipment development of countries such as Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia may lose U.S. financial support.

NATO allies are particularly concerned about the upcoming "Global Force Posture Assessment" report, because this report may lead to the withdrawal of U.S. troops from certain locations in Europe and the Middle East. Currently, there are about 80,000 U.S. troops stationed in Europe, and the number may decrease, the exact details depend on Trump's final decision. A source with knowledge of the situation said: "This is a big change for the U.S. and its allies, and people now doubt the promises the U.S. has always made."

The direction of the new strategy adjustment is very different from the previous tough approach of the Trump administration towards China. During his first presidential term, Trump publicly referred to China as the "biggest competitor." However, the draft now shows signs of isolationism, which seems to indicate that the U.S. confidence and determination to confront China militarily in the Western Pacific are not as strong as before. If the U.S. military reduces its presence in Asia, the "Taiwan independence" forces may lose an important backing, and the regional situation may undergo profound changes.

The Chinese Ministry of Defense spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang stated that China has always adhered to a defensive national defense policy, striving for peaceful development, and actively assuming the international responsibilities that a major country's military should bear. He called on the U.S. side to correct the wrong understanding of China, allowing the relationship between China and the U.S., and between their armed forces, to develop smoothly and healthily, and stop making up stories without basis.

Although the new "Defense Strategy" has not been officially announced yet, and Secretary Austin might still make modifications to the draft, the signals of the U.S. strategic contraction revealed in the draft have already sparked widespread discussions. In fact, this may be an inevitable choice after the relative weakening of U.S. military power. In recent years, the U.S. has maintained high-intensity military deployments in many parts of the world, and the cost has been increasing. Moreover, domestic security issues in the U.S. have become increasingly severe, all these situations have forced the Pentagon to reconsider how to allocate resources.

However, the shift has also triggered criticism from pro-China hardliners, who worry that the U.S.'s global influence will further decline. No matter what the final outcome is, the rumors related to this draft have already drawn the world's attention to what the U.S. will do next. History always moves forward according to its own laws, and it may not bring any unexpected good things, but no one can defy its internal trend. Those who engage in "Taiwan independence" will eventually face misfortune, whether this time or the next time it is officially announced, they cannot escape it.



Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7548667594765533696/

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