WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th August, 2020) US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said during remarks on Wednesday that he does not see China as an inevitable threat, but the United States must compete more vigorously in a range of domains, including militarily.
"I don't see China right now as an inevitable threat, that we're going to have a fight with them, whatever the case may be," Esper said during a virtual discussion in the 2020 Aspen Security Forum. "But we do have to compete and we have to be much more vigorous in all domains if you will, whether it's diplomatic, informational, military, political."
The United States has been concerned over China's activity in the South China Sea, the Arctic region, and its Belt and Road Initiative to gain an economic influence around the world.
Moreover, relations between the United States and China have significantly deteriorated under the current Trump administration following accusations Beijing engaged in unfair trade practices and made a poor effort to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.
In June, US President Donald Trump signed into law the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act that allows the US government to impose sanctions over alleged human rights violations of the Muslim Uyghur minority in China.
