On Monday, US President Joe Biden suggested spending USD 1.8 billion to promote his Indo-Pacific Strategy, as well as an additional USD 400 million to oppose China’s harmful activity. Both are included in the US’s USD 773 billion annual defense budget for 2023, which was submitted to Congress as part of the White House’s yearly financial plans.
Biden has prioritized counter competition with China
“In the Indo-Pacific, America is bolstering its role and expanding cooperation with longtime allies and partners, including new diplomatic, defense and security, critical and emerging technology and supply chain, climate and global health initiatives, and supporting stronger ties between our European and Indo-Pacific allies,” Biden said.
According to the White House, the President Biden has prioritized strategic competition with China and has worked with friends and partners to resist coercion and deter aggression from Beijing and Moscow, as well as ending America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan and evacuating all US troops.
According to the White House, the budget emphasizes integrated deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and around the world. The budget designates China as the Department’s major challenge in order to maintain and deepen deterrence.
The Budget includes nearly USD 1.8 billion to support a free and open, connected, secure, and resilient Indo-Pacific Region and the Indo-Pacific Strategy, as well as USD 400 million for the Chinese Malign Influence Fund, to support American leadership in defending democracy, freedom, and security around the world.
Furthermore, the Budget allocates USD 682 million to Ukraine, an increase of USD 219 million over the legislated amount for 2021, to resist Russian malign influence and fulfill rising requirements in security, energy, cybersecurity, misinformation, macroeconomic stability, and civil society resilience. The Department of Defense’s 2023 Pacific Deterrence Initiative, according to the White House, emphasizes some of the important investments the department is making to reinforce deterrence in the Indo-Pacific area.
The Department is developing the concepts, capabilities, and posture needed to face these challenges, working with the interagency and US allies and partners to guarantee US deterrence is integrated across domains, regions, and conflict spectrums, according to the statement.