His confirmation as the new U.S. Secretary of Defense Friday gives retired U.S. Army four-star General Lloyd Austin the platform he needs to push his hawkish views against China.
Austin is the first African-American to hold the top post at the Pentagon.
The Senate Armed Services Committee held Austin's confirmation hearing on Tuesday. During this hearing, Austin told senators China is the most dangerous strategic threat facing the United States.
Austin emphasized his focus as defense secretary will be on the danger posed by China, which he calls the "pacing threat" confronting the U.S.
"Clearly the strategy will be arrayed against the threat and China presents the most significant threat going forward because China is ascending," said Austin.
"Russia is also a threat, but it's in decline. It can still do a great deal of damage as we've seen here in recent days. And it's a country that we have to maintain some degree of focus on, but China is the pacing threat."
Austin told the senators the U.S. military maintains a qualitative edge over the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the armed forces of the Communist Party of China. That advantage, however, is diminishing and must be remedied.
"We'll have to have capabilities that allow us to hold -- to present a credible threat, a credible deterrent, excuse me -- to China in the future," Austin pointed out.
"We'll have to make some strides in the use of quantum computing, the use of AI, the advent of connected battlefields, the space-based platforms. Those kinds of things I think can give us the types of capabilities that we'll need to be able to hold large pieces of Chinese military inventory at risk."
Austin firmly believes the U.S. military retains a qualitative edge and competitive edge over the PLA.
Austin's get tough on China stand is similar to the two other key members of Team Biden who will shape U.S. defense policy against China. One of these hawks is Avril Haines, who was sworn in as the director of national intelligence on Thursday. The other is Antony Blinken, whose Senate confirmation as secretary of state is assured.
During her confirmation hearing before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Haines said the U.S. must take an "aggressive stance" toward the threat posed by China's global aggressiveness.
She vowed to counter China's "illegal, unfair, aggressive actions." She also promised to provide training for local officials to educate them on China's influence operations.
Blinken told senators during his confirmation hearing that confrontation and competition against China must be approached from "a position of strength, not a position of weakness."
Blinken said America's strength comes from closer coordination with allies and not from going it alone. The Biden administration will be involved in engaging and "leading in international institutions ... when we stand up for our values."
Blinken supports his predecessor, Mike Pompeo, in his assertion China's actions against the Muslim Uyghur ethnic group constitute genocide.
On Thursday, Congress granted Austin a waiver of the National Security Act of 1947 that bypassed the seven-year waiting period after a nominee for secretary of defense leaves the active-duty military.
This condition is prescribed by Title 10, Section 113 of the United States Code. Such a waiver has only been granted twice in U.S. history: to former secretary of defense James Mattis in 2017 and to former general George Marshall in 1950.
