An internal directive was issued by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin calling for several initiatives to counter China, according to US officials. The announcement follows the release of the Biden administration's defense budget, which called for a dramatic spending shift away from old systems to help fund military modernisation to deter China.
Ashley Townshend, Director of Foreign Policy and Defence, warns investment in military R&D "should not come at the expense of efforts to strengthen conventional deterrence against China in the short term".