Pentagon Chief Calls China, Russia 'Top Strategic Competitors' Of US

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th September, 2020) US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has described China and Russia as Washington's main strategic rivals.

"Today, in this era of great power competition, the Department of Defense has prioritized China then Russia, as our top strategic competitors," Esper said while speaking at an event hosted by RAND corporation on Wednesday.

The Pentagon chief slammed Moscow and Beijing as revisionist powers "using predatory economics, political subversion, and military force in an attempt to shift the balance of power in their favor, and often at the expense of others."

Esper then cited China's One Belt, One Road project as an example of its malign influence.

"This campaign has left weaker nations with crushing debt, forcing them to take their economic relief at the expense of their sovereignty," he noted.

The secretary of defense went on to criticize China's actions in South China and East China Seas as attempts to undermine the world order.

"At the same time, Russia is overtly redrawing international borders. Moscow's invasion of Georgia in 2008, annexation of Crimea in 2014, and sustained aggression in Ukraine demonstrates its blatant disregard for international rules and norms," Esper noted, adding that both, Russia and China were expanding and modernizing their armed forces.

According to the Pentagon chief, China intends to dominate Asia as a world-class military by 2049.

The Crimean Peninsula rejoined Russia after nearly 97 percent of voters supported the move in a 2014 referendum. Nevertheless, the Ukrainian authorities insist that the territory was illegally seized by Russia. Moscow has repeatedly said that the peninsula is historically Russian and after its residents expressed their will to reunite with Russia in a legitimate procedure, the issue is "closed."