The Washington Times

The Pentagon’s top civilian and military leaders said Wednesday that China has emerged as the most important defense and military challenge faced by the United States.

The Defense Department’s “highest priority remains China, as its government continues to use — and misuse — its diplomatic, economic and military strength to attempt to alter the landscape of power and reshape the world in its favor, often at the expense of others,” said Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

The Chinese Communist Party has emerged as a strategic threat to the international order and is seeking regional hegemony and global influence, said Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who joined Mr. Esper in congressional testimony. Mr. Esper and Gen. Milley testified before the House Armed Services Committee on the Pentagon’s fiscal 2021 budget request of $705.4 billion.

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