President Joe Biden has announced the establishment of a new task force within the Department of Defense that will be responsible for providing a baseline review of DOD programs, policies and processes with regard to the challenge and threat posed by China, DOD News reported Wednesday.
Ely Ratner, a special assistant to Defense Secretary and 2021 Wash100 Award recipient Lloyd Austin, will lead the 15-member DOD China Task Force.
The task force will examine strategy, force posture, technology and force structure, operational concepts, force management and intelligence and other high-priority topics and will come up with recommendations for senior leaders at the Pentagon within four months.
The new group will also coordinate with interagency partners and look at U.S. partnerships and alliances and their impact on the department’s relations with China, which continues to challenge the rules-based structure in the Indo-Pacific region.
