U.S. Needs ‘Combat-Credible’ Forces to Deter China, Nominee Says
- Biden pick for senior Pentagon post testifies to Senate panel
- Ely Ratner expected to help Pentagon draft China approach
Photographer: Mario Tama/Getty Images
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The U.S. military should maintain a “combat-credible” posture in the Indo-Pacific to help deter potential Chinese aggression, President Joe Biden’s nominee to be assistant secretary of defense for the region told senators.
Such an approach would include the “forward” positioning of U.S. forces in order to “deter, and, if necessary, deny a fait accompli scenario” where China tries to quickly overwhelm Taiwan, Ely Ratner told the Senate Armed Services Committee in written answers to questions for his confirmation hearing Wednesday.