A senior U.S. Department of Defense official pointed out that China is increasing its military power in anticipation of an invasion of Taiwan. showed.
Assistant Secretary of Defense Ratner, who is in charge of the Indo-Pacific region at the US Department of Defense, gave a speech at a think tank in Washington, D.C. on the 8th.
In it, Ratner said of China's increasing military power, "I understand that they are trying to develop the capability to facilitate a military invasion of Taiwan. It is our goal to do so, and we are taking actions to strengthen deterrence."
In addition, on the 6th of this month, he announced a policy to increase the number of US forces deployed in Australia, saying, "2023 is likely to be the year in which the US military force posture will change the most in this region. I think you will be very satisfied with the results that will be announced throughout 2023," he said, predicting that the US military posture in the Indo-Pacific region is likely to increase next year.
In addition, Assistant Secretary of State Ratner commented on discussions in Japan on the revision of three security-related documents aimed at drastically strengthening Japan's defense capabilities, saying, "I'm watching carefully, and I'm looking forward to seeing the conclusions. It will be of great benefit to the entire Japan-U.S. alliance."