It is reported that the US released the 2022 National Defense Strategy on October 27, along with the 2022 Missile Defense Review and 2022 Nuclear Posture Review, marking the first time that all three defense reports were released at the same time.
According to military observer Teng Jianqun, releasing three defense reports simultaneously is a rare move that portends multi-tiered changes, covering national security strategy and the development of military technology.
The biggest change in the three reports is that they all expressly take China as America’s arch rival. They also specify America’s determined pursuit of military superiority, especially in the field of military technology, stressing the research and development of emerging weapon systems and tactical nuclear weapons. Moreover, military alliance will be a pillar of America’s future military activities worldwide. In the Asia Pacific, it will strengthen the military alliance relationship with countries like ROK, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines; in Europe, it will continue to tighten the screws on NATO.
The latest Nuclear Posture Review emphasized that maintaining strategic nuclear deterrence is Pentagon’s most important task, and the US will continue to modernize its nuclear arsenal. As Teng said, US President Biden vowed during the presidential election campaign that he would carry on the Obama administration’s policy of building a world free from nuclear weapons. But the moment he was elected, he continued to see nuclear weapons as an important approach to deterrence, not only improving the quality of strategic nuclear weapons but also developing tactical ones capable of precise strikes. This has largely lowered the threshold for the US to use nuclear weapons and added to the risk of nuclear conflicts.
While upgrading its nuclear arsenal, the US has not changed its policy on the use of nuclear weapons, which means it hasn’t ruled out the option of using such weapons when in face of a non-nuclear attack. That will seriously damage the mutual trust among major countries, stoke a nuclear arms race and confrontation, stimulate nuclear proliferation, and gravely undermine international and regional peace and stability.
Chinese foreign ministry refuted the three newly released reports, especially the Nuclear Posture Review. Its spokesperson Wang Wenbin said what’s behind the US policy is its hegemonic logic of seeking absolute military superiority.
Troubled by the syndrome of the pandemic, economic decline, and many other problems, America’s persistence in military hegemonism will only lead it to a quandary of being debt-ridden at home and surrounded by enemies everywhere abroad, said Teng, adding that the strategies it proposed will hardly get to the ground due to the lack of supportive measures, including financial support. The international community should keep a close eye on America’s policy adjustment regarding military expansion and warpreparedness and respond with prudence and caution.
Editor's note: Originally published on military.cnr.cn, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
