Defense Budget Targets Growing China Threat

The United States’ Defense Budget Aims to Counter China’s Growing Military

The proposed United States’ $886.3 billion Fiscal Year 2024 defense budget includes a $9.1 billion program to strengthen allied operational efficiencies and fortify installations in the Western Pacific. This program is specifically designed to counter aggression from China’s military, which has been rapidly expanding.

The Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI) is a key component of both the Senate and House armed services committees’ proposed defense budgets for FY24. The PDI aims to allocate $9.5 billion, a 40-percent increase from this year, to enhance deterrence in the Pacific region.

Furthermore, both chambers’ draft National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAA) prioritize support for Taiwan’s defense against a potential invasion by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The proposed budgets allocate resources and funding to strengthen Taiwan’s “porcupine defense” strategy.

In addition, the House Appropriations Committee subcommittee plans to transfer $500 million from the State Department budget to the Taiwan Foreign Military Financing (FMF) fund. This move would allow the Pentagon and administration to purchase weapons and munitions for Taiwan without Congressional approval, similar to the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.

Both the Senate and House proposed defense budgets also emphasize collaboration with Taiwan on cybersecurity and call for comprehensive training and military support for the island nation.

PDI Focuses on Countering China’s Military Adventurism

The Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI) is a crucial part of the overall defense strategy against China. The PDI aims to prioritize China as the preeminent challenge and strengthen deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region. It includes targeted investments to enhance U.S. force posture, infrastructure, presence, and readiness, as well as the capacity and capabilities of U.S. allies and partners in the region.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (IndoPacCom) will oversee the implementation of the PDI. IndoPacCom is responsible for the vast Indo-Pacific region, which includes 36 nations and more than half the world’s population. It is heavily militarized, with seven of the world’s 10 largest militaries located in the Western Pacific alone.

The Senate and House NDAAs include directives to enhance U.S. missile capabilities, improve air and missile defense architecture, and strengthen Guam’s missile defense systems. The defense budgets also focus on modernizing strategic sites and increasing joint operations with allies like Australia, Japan, and India.

The PDI and the proposed defense budgets highlight the importance of strengthening alliances and increasing joint exercises to enhance regional security. They also emphasize the need to address China’s military advancements and protect the interests of the United States and its allies in the Indo-Pacific region.

Increased Operations With Allies

The PDI includes two subsets: the Indo-Pacific Campaigning Initiative and Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative. Both initiatives aim to increase joint exercises, freedom of navigation operations, and partner engagements across the region.

The Indo-Pacific Campaigning Initiative focuses on testing operational capacities in contested circumstances through joint exercises. The Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative seeks to enhance security cooperation with Japan, ensure India receives appropriate security cooperation benefits, and expand cyber cooperation programs with Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia.

The defense budgets also support the newly-signed AUKUS partnership between the U.S., Australia, and the United Kingdom. This partnership aims to develop and deploy attack submarines across the Indo-Pacific region, providing game-changing defense advantages.