US’S National Security Strategy (NSS) focused on China and Russia

The US in its recently released National Security Strategy (NSS) has declared that the intensifying competition with Beijing as the biggest challenge for Washington.

Important Takeaways

• China the biggest ‘geopolitical challenge’: The NSS labeled China as the “most consequential geopolitical challenge”, proclaiming that the US is “in the middle of a strategic competition to shape the future of the international order”.
  • China is the only competitor with both the intent to reshape the international order. And, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do it.
• Constraining Russia: The NSS accuses Russia of posing an “immediate and persistent threat to international peace and stability” through its policies. That “culminated” in the invasion of Ukraine.
• Countering Iran: Beyond China and Russia, the NSS said “smaller autocratic powers” are acting aggressively in ways that compromise global stability.
• Commitment to Israel: The NSS reaffirms the US commitment to Israel’s security. And the newly emerging alliance between Israel and Arab countries – namely the United Arab Emirates.

The US in Indo-Pacific Region:

• The US recognizes India as the world’s largest democracy and its major defense partner.
• The two countries will work together, bilaterally and multilaterally, to support our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
• “Revitalized Quad”: It includes the U.S., India, Australia, and Japan, had addressed regional challenges, and “demonstrated its ability to deliver” for the Indo-Pacific on fighting COVID-19, and cybersecurity.

Challenges

• The report highlights two types of challenges:
• Great power competition (Competing with China and Russia)
• Transnational challenges (Climate Change, Food insecurity, terrorism, etc.)

Required Intervention

The document lays out three lines of effort:

• Invest in “tools of American power and influence”
• Build “the strongest possible coalition of nations” to solve global challenges
• Modernize the military to contend with strategic threats like China and Russia