CHINA’S MILITARY BUILDUP: As U.S. commanders warn of the breakneck speed of China’s military buildup, Beijing has announced a planned 7.2% increase in defense spending for this year, which at $230 billion will put its publicly acknowledged military budget second only to the United States.
Under President Xi Jinping, China has embarked on a massive defense buildup with the goal of having a world-class military on par with or surpassing the U.S. by 2046.
“We will provide stronger financial guarantees for efforts to modernize our national defense and the armed forces on all fronts and consolidate and enhance integrated national strategies and strategic capabilities,” Chinese Premier Li Qiang told the opening session of the annual meeting of the Chinese legislature Tuesday.
As tensions with Taiwan rise, the report delivered by Li notably dropped any mention of “peaceful reunification” with the self-governing island.
At the Pentagon, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder reacted cautiously to the Chinese announcement. “What I will say is that we will continue to monitor their evolving military strategy, their doctrine, their force development,” Ryder said. “We do continue to call on them to be more transparent about their defense spending and their actions that they’re taking, not only in the Indo-Pacific region but around the world.”
THE LATEST DUSTUP AT SEA: China continues to make expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea, and in its dispute with the Philippines over the Second Thomas Shoal, Chinese and Philippine coast guard ships had a minor collision, with four Filipino crew members suffering minor injuries.
“Ships from the People’s Republic of China engaged in reckless maneuvers against lawfully operating Philippine vessels near Second Thomas Shoal,” Ryder said at yesterday’s Pentagon briefing. “Many of you have seen the images and videos today of this dangerous operational behavior by the PRC, which caused multiple collisions and included the use of water cannons.”
“We call on the PRC to abide by the international tribunal’s legally binding decision in 2016,” Ryder said. “The United States is going to continue to stand by our Philippine ally, and our commitment to our mutual defense treaty is ironclad.”
China accused the Philippine ship of deliberately colliding with the Chinese coast guard vessel, which it said was forced to use a water cannon “to drive it away.”
CHINA LODGES ITS STANDARD PROTEST: Every time a U.S. warship transits the Taiwan Strait, Beijing objects, and yesterday was no exception. “The US guided missile destroyer USS John Finn sailed through the Taiwan Strait on March 5 and hyped it up publicly,” China said in a statement attributed to army Senior Col. Shi Yi, spokesman for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command.
“The Chinese PLA Eastern Theater Command organized air and naval forces to track and monitor the US destroyer in the whole course, and handled the situation according to laws and regulations,” the statement said.
At the Pentagon, Ryder said the “Freedom of Navigation” missions will continue despite the protests. “I think you see us … leading by example and working closely with partners and allies in the region to ensure that countries can sail, fly, or operate wherever international law allows.”
The U.S., he said, “is working together in a positive and productive manner to ensure security and stability in the region and not exacerbate tensions in the region.”
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Good Wednesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Stacey Dec. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre
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HAPPENING TODAY: The House is scheduled to vote on six appropriations bills that will, if passed, avert a partial government shutdown on Friday.
“The clock is ticking, and because of the State of the Union on Thursday, we need to cooperate to move extra fast to get these bills through. Between now and Friday, the watchwords for the Senate will be cooperation and speed,” Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said on the Senate floor yesterday.
“The important thing now is for both chambers to move quickly,” Schumer said. “As soon as the House sends these appropriations bills over to the Senate, I will put these bills on the floor so we can have them on President Biden’s desk before Friday’s deadline.”
“I am very glad and proud we’ve been able to reach such a strong agreement under divided government. I thank Speaker [Mike] Johnson, Leader [Hakeem] Jeffries, Leader [Mitch] McConnell, Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray, and Vice Chair Susan Collins, and all the staff who have dedicated so much work to get us to this point,” Schumer said. “This agreement gives us much-needed momentum to finish the next package of spending bills by the March 22 deadline. Once again, it will only be bipartisanship, only bipartisanship, that will get us across the finish line.”
SPEAKER JOHNSON HOSTS GERSHKOVICH’S PARENTS: Johnson has invited the parents of imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich to be his guests at Thursday’s State of the Union address.
“I’m honored to host Ella Milman and Mikhail Gershkovich for the State of the Union, shining a spotlight on the unjust detention of their son, Evan,” Johnson posted on X. “The U.S. must always stand for freedom of the press, especially in places where it is under assault. The [administration] must bring Evan home.”
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT ISSUES ARREST WARRANTS FOR TWO TOP RUSSIAN COMMANDERS
JAPAN PM TO ADDRESS CONGRESS: Congressional leaders announced yesterday that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been invited to address a joint meeting of Congress on April 11.
“This visit symbolizes both nations’ commitment to peace and prosperity and to an international community that promotes democracy, security, and stability,” said a bipartisan statement released by House and Senate leaders.
“I am pleased to join my colleagues in extending this invitation to His Excellency, laying the foundation for collaboration in the years to come,” Johnson said. “Now more than ever, we must speak out against tyranny and continue our pursuit of freedom and democracy worldwide.”
TEXAS GOP VOTERS FAVOR LIMIT ON GUARD DEPLOYMENTS: A nonbinding proposal on the Super Tuesday ballot in Texas yesterday showed that Republican voters overwhelmingly support Proposition 6, the “Defend the Guard Act.”
The proposition says simply: “The Texas Legislature should prohibit the deployment of the Texas National Guard to a foreign conflict unless Congress first formally declares war.”
The various propositions on the GOP primary in Texas amount to opinion surveys. They do not make law.
Nevertheless, 84% of Republican voters expressed support for the “Defend the Guard Act,” which if passed by the legislature and signed by the governor would seek to prevent the president, the commander in chief of the armed forces under the Constitution, from sending National Guard troops to “undeclared” foreign wars.
“This vote by millions of Texas Republicans is a strong and encouraging sign that the decades of illegal wars are coming to an end,” Dan McKnight, chairman of the national veterans advocacy organization Bring Our Troops Home, said in a statement. “Americans are reclaiming our sovereign authority and rescinding federal overreach.”
McCAUL CONTINUES REVIEW OF AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL: House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) has announced his committee will hear from retired Gens. Mark Milley, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Frank McKenzie, former commander of the U.S. Central Command, about the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August of 2021.
The hearing is titled: “A ‘Strategic Failure’: Biden’s Withdrawal, America’s Generals, and the Taliban Takeover.”
MARINE COMMANDANT BACK: Five months after suffering a heart attack while jogging, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith is back on the job.
Smith experienced cardiac arrest while jogging near the Marine Corps barrack at 8th and I streets on Oct. 29. “He resumed his full duties and authorities as the Commandant effective March 5, 2024,” the Marine Corps said in a statement.
“The Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Christopher J. Mahoney, who has been performing the duties of Commandant since November 3, continues to serve in his role as Assistant Commandant,” the statement said. “General Smith and his family appreciate the full support of Congress, the leadership at the Department of Defense, Department of the Navy, the Joint Force, and all who extended them their well wishes during his recovery.”
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THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Victoria Nuland retires at difficult time of war in Ukraine
Washington Examiner: US conducts second humanitarian airdrop into Gaza and considers maritime corridor
Washington Examiner: Israel claims 450 UNRWA employees are ‘military operatives in terror groups’
Washington Examiner: International criminal court issues arrest warrants for two top Russian commanders
Washington Examiner: Russia floats expelling all European ambassadors after Navalny memorial
Washington Examiner: Gallagher introduces bipartisan legislation empowering president to crack down on TikTok
Washington Examiner: Air Force intelligence leak arrest is fifth incident to hurt US military in a year
Washington Examiner: Analysis: Haiti’s fate likely rests on control over Port-au-Prince’s airport
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Mossad’s long response to the Oct. 7 attacks has only just begun
Washington Examiner: Opinion: The Biden administration must come clean over Iran’s assassination plots
AP: China Raises Defense Budget by 7.2 Percent as It Pushes for Global Heft and Regional Tensions Continue
Breaking Defense: Russia-North Korea ‘Partnership’ Could Have Long-Lasting Repercussions, NSC Official Warns
Reuters: EU aims to shift European arms industry to ‘war economy mode’
Politico: Europe Starts War Machine to Wean Itself off US Weapons
Defense News: Albania Opens Remodeled Soviet-Era Air Base as Hub for NATO Jets
Bloomberg: F-35’s Capstone Test Report Is Stamped Classified by Pentagon
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force About to Test ARRW Hypersonic Missile in the Central Pacific
SpaceNews: US General Warns of Russia’s Enduring Space Threat Despite Ukraine Woes
DefenseScoop: Air Force Provides More Details about Plans for ‘Battle Management’ of AI
Air & Space Forces Magazine: F-35s, F-16s Slated to Fly in Large-Scale US-S Korea Exercise
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Delta 2 Boss: Don’t Just Share Info. Act on It.
Military Times: Why Getting More Female Troops into Special Operations Will Take Time
Military.com: A Promising Air Force Officer Took a Stand Against Racism. Now, His Career Is in Political Jeopardy.
Air & Space Forces Magazine: CMSAF Bass: First Air Force Warrant Officer Class to Be Selected This Summer
The Cipher Brief: Upgrading the U.S. Military’s Nuclear Warheads
The Cipher Brief: End-of-Life Care for Tech Could Ward Off China’s Hackers
THE CALENDAR:
WEDNESDAY | MARCH 6
9 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute in-person and virtual discussion: “Growing Expectations for the U.S.-Japan Alliance,” with former Japanese National Security Adviser Shigeru Kitamura; Marine Corps Brig. Gen. James Wellons, assistant deputy commandant for programs and headquarters; Sugio Takahashi, director of policy studies at the Japan National Institute for Defense Studies; and Kenneth Weinstein, Japan chairman at the Hudson Institute https://www.hudson.org/events/growing-expectations-us-japan-alliance
10 a.m. 1000 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Cato Institute book discussion: The Internationalists: The Fight to Restore American Foreign Policy After Trump, with former acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller; author Alex Ward, national security reporter at Politico; Emma Ashford, senior fellow at the Stimson Center; and Justin Logan, director of defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute https://www.cato.org/events/internationalists
10 a.m. 1501 Langston Blvd, Arlington, Virginia — Air and Space Forces Association discussion: “How the Department of the Air Force is reoptimizing for great power competition, and the role operational readiness will play in that effort,” with Ravi Chaudhary, assistant secretary of the Air Force for energy, installations, and environment, and retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Doug Raaberg, AFA executive vice president https://www.afa.org/events/air-space-warfighters-in-action
12 p.m. — Association of the U.S. Army “Noon Report” webinar: “Rebuilding the Army Reserve: Ready Now, Shaping Tomorrow,” with Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew Lombardo, the U.S. Army Reserve’s senior enlisted leader https://www.ausa.org/events/noon-report/csm-lombardo
3:30 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing: “Army Aviation Rebalancing and the Path Ahead,” with testimony from Douglas Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology; Gen. James Rainey, commanding general of the Army Futures Command; Maj. Gen. Michael McCurry, commanding general of the Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Novosel; and Brig. Gen. David Phillips, program executive officer in the Army’s Program Executive Office Aviation https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings/tal-hearing-army-aviation
4 p.m. 1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace discussion: “Evaluating the West’s Ukraine Strategy in 2024,” with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna https://carnegieendowment.org/2024/03/07/evaluating-west-s-ukraine-strategy
THURSDAY | MARCH 7
9 a.m. HVC-210, U.S. Capitol — House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party hearing: “Growing Stakes: The Bioeconomy and American National Security” https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov
12:30 p.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “Special operations forces in an era of strategic competition,” with Christopher Maier, assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low intensity conflict https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/special-operations-forces
2 p.m. 2141 Rayburn — House Judiciary Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee hearing: “Presidential Power to Secure the Border” https://judiciary.house.gov/committee-activity/hearings
9:30 p.m. — Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) the Republican address to the nation following the president’s State of the Union address.
TUESDAY | MARCH 13
7:15 a.m. 2425 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Virginia — Association of the U.S. Army “Coffee Series,” with Gen. Charles Hamilton, commanding general of U.S. Army Materiel Command https://www.ausa.org/events/coffee-serie/gen-hamilton
TUESDAY | MARCH 20
10 a.m. — Counter Extremism Project webinar: “Cruel And Unusual Punishment — How The Houthis Target Women, Journalists And Religious Minorities,” with Edmund Fitton-Brown, CEP senior adviser; Nura al Jarwi, president, Association for the Protection of Violated Women and Survivors of Houthi Prisons; and Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director, CEP Counter Extremism Project https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register
