In a recent hearing before the House Armed Services Committee, Dr. Ely S. Ratner, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, declared that the People's Republic of China (PRC) poses the most significant threat to the U.S., due to its ambitions to reshape the Indo-Pacific region and replace the U.S. as a global power.
"The PRC continues to present the most comprehensive and serious challenge to U.S. national security because it remains the only country with the will and, increasingly, the capability to dominate the Indo-Pacific region and displace the United States as a global power," said Ely S. Ratner. "In fact, the PLA's coercive and risky activities in the Taiwan Strait, the South and East China Seas, along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India, and beyond have demonstrated the PRC's revisionist intentions more clearly than ever."
According to Ratner's testimony, China's "risky and coercive" activities towards Taiwan and in the South and East China Seas indicate its intentions of redefining the Indo-Pacific region. In response, he noted that the Department of Defense is intensifying efforts to mitigate risks and prevent escalation in this area.
Ratner further testified that the Department of Defense has enhanced defense cooperation with allies including Australia, India, Japan, and Southeast Asian partners to bolster regional security in the Indo-Pacific. The cooperation with Australia includes co-production agreements for advanced military systems such as Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) and ground mobility systems under the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) partnership. Additionally, he highlighted an increase in "defense technology innovation" with both India and Japan.
"The Department has also sustained activities to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability, consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act and in support of our efforts to maintain the status quo across the Taiwan Strait," Ratner stated.
As per information on the Department of Defense (DoD) website, Ratner serves as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs. Prior to his current role at DoD, he was Director of the DoD China Task Force and Deputy National Security Advisor to Vice President Joe Biden. Dr. Ratner also boasts an academic background having served as Executive Vice President at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and as a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
