U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s pick to be the next defense chief has said that new military bases are needed ¡°throughout the Indo-Pacific region¡± while also urging the fielding of ¡°new capabilities¡± amid the threat to U.S. and allied forces from powerful Chinese missiles.
¡°China has made significant technological advancements in weapons systems designed to defeat, or drastically reduce the effectiveness of U.S. forces, including in the range and accuracy of its missile forces,¡± Mark Esper, who had been serving as army secretary and then as acting defense secretary, said in written answers to questions from lawmakers ahead of a Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday morning.
Esper said that Beijing ¡°has invested in a substantial buildup of land attack cruise missiles and short, medium, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, seeking to hold targets at risk as far as the second island chain,¡± he added, referring to a security concept that suggests blocking China off from the Western Pacific via an ¡°island chain¡± that stretches from Japan through the Marianas and Micronesia.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.