The US prioritizes China as a competitor for 2023 and ensures that Russia represents a “threat to the world order”

MADRID, March 29. (Royals Blue) –

The ‘number two’ of the US Department of Defense, Kathleen Hicks, has assured that China is the main strategic competitor of the United States and has branded Russia a “serious threat to the world order” due to its “unprovoked invasion” and its “vicious tactics”.

At a press conference, where he detailed the Defense budget request for fiscal year 2023, which will have 773,000 million dollars (703,000 million euros), Hicks pointed out that the United States’ strategy will be based on “deterrence” , with China as its “most important strategic competitor”.

“The People’s Republic of China has the military, economic and technological potential to challenge the international system and our interests within it,” he said, adding that other “persistent threats” include North Korea, Iran and “violent extremist organizations.” .

“Defend the motherland; usher in the growing multi-domain threat posed by China; deter strategic attack; deter aggression while being prepared to prevail in conflict when necessary; prioritize China’s challenge in the Indo-Pacific; challenge of Russia in Europe and building a resilient joint force and defense ecosystem,” he detailed.

In this way, he has described the objectives for the coming year. Thus, the United States will focus on the Pacific region in terms of “investments” to support “its comparative military advantage, improve its posture, provide resilient logistics and increase cooperation with allies and regional partners.”

“Similarly, our budget request makes investments that support the US European Command and deepen our strong commitment to NATO. We will optimize Joint Force response capability, provide assistance to kyiv through the Assistance Initiative for Ukraine’s Security and we will strengthen cooperation programs,” he underlined.

Hicks has also explained that the budget “provides the Department with resources to sustain and strengthen the Joint Force”, as well as “deploy credible forces for combat today” and at the same time prepare “for the threats of the future”.

“The budget request for fiscal year 2023 remains in line with our strategic approach and prioritizes China as the pace challenger and recognizes the serious threat posed by Russia,” he concluded.