The U.S. Senate has confirmed Elbridge Colby to be the Defense Department¡¯s policy chief, bringing to the Pentagon¡¯s No. 3 post a known China hawk and advocate for Asian allies ¡ª including Japan ¡ª to spend more on defense.
The Senate voted 54-45 in favor of Colby to be the new undersecretary of defense for policy, a vote that was largely along party lines.
Colby, who served as U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development during the president¡¯s first term, has also been a strong advocate for the U.S. military to shift its focus from Europe and the Middle East to China ¡ª especially in terms of preventing conflict with Beijing over self-ruled Taiwan.
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