PENTAGON TASK FORCE TO REVIEW STRATEGY ON CHINA

US President Joe Biden said that the Pentagon will review its strategy on China through a new task force that is expected to come up with recommendations "within the next few months."

"We need to meet the growing challenges posed by China to keep peace and defend our interests in the Indo-Pacific and globally," Biden said during his first visit to the Pentagon since becoming the commander-in-chief on Jan. 20, Kyodo News reported.

The so-called China Task Force, which will be joined by 15 civilian and uniformed Defense Department employees, will make recommendations to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin regarding "key priorities and decision points so that we can chart a strong path forward on China-related matters," Biden said.

High-priority topics to be examined by the team include technology, intelligence, alliances and the US military posture, according to the Pentagon.

The task force will be led by Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Ely Ratner, who served from 2015 to 2017 as deputy national security adviser to then Vice President Biden.

Noting that the work requires "a whole-of-government effort, bipartisan cooperation in Congress and strong alliances and partnerships," Biden said, "That's how we'll meet the China challenge and ensure the American people win the competition of the future."

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