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Gen. Lloyd Austin
Secretary of Defense
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Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had over 40 years of service history before he retired as a four-star general in 2016. He served as the 12th commander of United States Central Command between 2013-2016. Before CENTCOM, Secretary Austin was the 33rd vice chief of staff of the United States Army from January 2012 to March 2013, and the last commanding general of United States Forces – Iraq Operation New Dawn, which he oversaw the transition of U.S. and Coalition military forces and equipment out of Iraq. After retiring from the armed services, Secretary Austin served on the boards of Raytheon Technologies, Nucor, and Tenet Healthcare.
Secretary Austin is America’s first African-American Secretary of Defense following the departure of Acting Secretary of Defense Chirstopher Miller, who was appointed after Mark Esper’s departure in November 2020. Secretary Austin is overseeing U.S. security operations during a time when security competition between the United States and China continues to intensify as both countries increase their military activities in East Asia, the South China Sea, and the Western Pacific over the past four years. He was confirmed by the Senate Armed Services Committee on January 22, 2021.
Views On China
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin defined China as “the No.1 pacing challenge” to the United States. While Austin had ample experience in dealing with the Middle East, his supposed lack of experience in dealing with China was also under question when he was announced as Biden’s pick for the Pentagon. On the other hand, arguments in support of Austin’s nomination suggest that Ausin does not have to be a China expert to lead the Pentagon as long as his broad strategic vision aligns with that of the Biden administration. In a 2018 interview with the U.S. Army, while Austin acknowledged that anti-access/area denial, which is commonly referred to China’s tactic against the U.S. in East Asia, is a real threat, but believed that the United States “still enjoys a robust, worldwide forward presence”. Secretary Austin suggested that the United States preserve its current forward presence and strengthen cooperation with regional partners, “Presence buys you influence, which is built on trust; you can’t surge trust.”
Most Recent Actions
- On March 4, 2021, Secretary of Defense Austin released a memorandum for all Department of Defense Employees, which included his tope three priorities.
- On June 9, 2021, Austin issued a directive based on final recommendations submitted by the DoD China Task Force to initiate Department-wide efforts that will “better address the security challenges posed by China as the United States’ number one pacing challenge.” In the memorandum, the Department of Defense will prioritize China as the U.S.’ “number one pacing challenge” and develop the right operational concepts, capabilities, and plans to bolster deterrence and maintain U.S. competitive advantage.
- Secretary Austin’s other defense priorities include innovate and modernize the DoD and tackling the climate crisis. The menmorandum also highlighted the prioritization to build resilience and readiness and repair and strengthen U.S. alliance and partnership.
Secretary Austin has yet to make any public comments this month specific to U.S.-China relations.
- On July 30, 2021, Austin and Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced the restoration of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) at a joint press conference following discussions with President Duterte the day prior. The agreement allows for an American troop presence in the Philippines and, as such, improves the ability of the U.S. to defend the Philippines under the countries’ 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.
- On July 28, 2021, as part of a wider trip throughout various ASEAN member states, Austin reaffirmed the U.S. position that China’s claim to the majority of the South China Sea “has no basis in international law” and “treads on the sovereignty of states in the region.”
- On June 14, 2021, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Brussels, to which Austin accompanied President Biden, signed the Brussels Summit Communiqué.
3. …China’s growing influence and international policies can present challenges that we need to address together as an Alliance. We will engage China with a view to defending the security interests of the Alliance….
55. China’s stated ambitions and assertive behaviour present systemic challenges to the rules-based international order and to areas relevant to Alliance security….We remain concerned with China’s frequent lack of transparency and use of disinformation. We call on China to uphold its international commitments and to act responsibly in the international system, including in the space, cyber, and maritime domains, in keeping with its role as a major power.
56. NATO maintains a constructive dialogue with China where possible. Based on our interests, we welcome opportunities to engage with China on areas of relevance to the Alliance and on common challenges such as climate change….Reciprocal transparency and understanding would benefit both NATO and China.
- On May 25, 2021, China’s state-run Global Times newspaper issued a ‘stern denial’ of recent Pentagon reports that the Chinese military and Austin’s counterparts have been unresponsive to efforts to connect. The denial mentioned that Beijing reached out to Austin shortly after he took office to arrange a conversation with China’s defense minister General Wei Fenghe.
- On April 11, 2021, Austin traveled to the Middle East and Europe to with an eye toward “revitalizing America’s relationships”. The secretary began his trip in Israel, then Germany, and then Belgium for meetings with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. He wrapped up his travels in the United Kingdom.
- Secretary of Defense Austin spoke with Philippines Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana on the phone on April 10, 2021. Secretary Austin proposed several measures to deepen defense cooperation between the United States and the Philippines, including by enhancing situational awareness of threats in the South China Sea.
On March 13, 2021, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III embarks on his first overseas trip to visit U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Headquarters in Hawaii, U.S. troops and senior government leaders in Japan and the Republic of Korea, and senior government leaders in India.
Archive
- On July 27, 2021, Secretary Austin gave remarks at the 40th International Institute for Strategic Studies Fullerton Lecture in Singapore, in which he commented on the current state of U.S-China relations and U.S.-ASEAN relations.
So let me be clear: As Secretary, I am committed to pursuing a constructive, stable relationship with China… including stronger crisis communications with the People’s Liberation Army. You know, big powers need to model transparency and communication. And we hope that we can work together with Beijing on common challenges, especially the threat of climate change.
Yet even in times of competition, our enduring ties in Southeast Asia are bigger than just geopolitics…
That’s why we are expanding our important work with countries throughout the Indo-Pacific and with ASEAN itself, a critical body that brings the region closer together… offering everyone a voice, and building deeper habits of cooperation.
He also mentioned Taiwan and the United States’ ‘one-China policy’…
Meanwhile, we are working with Taiwan to enhance its own capabilities and to increase its readiness to deter threats and coercion… upholding our commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act, and consistent with our one-China policy.
…the current strength of U.S. partnerships in the Indo-Pacific…
At the same time, we’re moving to enhance our combined presence in the Indo-Pacific with other close partners and allies….
Our strategic partnerships can carry us all closer to the historic common project of a free and open Pacific, at peace with itself and with the world… a stronger, more stable regional order where countries resolve disputes amicably and uphold all the rights of all their citizens.
…and China’s maritime activities in the South and East China Seas and beyond.
Beijing’s claim to the vast majority of the South China Sea has no basis in international law. That assertion treads on the sovereignty of states in the region. We continue to support the region’s coastal states in upholding their rights under international law. And we remain committed to the treaty obligations that we have to Japan in the Senkaku Islands and to the Philippines in the South China Sea.
Unfortunately, Beijing’s unwillingness to resolve disputes peacefully and respect the rule of law isn’t just occurring on the water. We have also seen aggression against India… destabilizing military activity and other forms of coercion against the people of Taiwan… and genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.
- On July 13, 2021, Secretary Austin gave a virtual speech near the closing of the Global Emerging Technology Summit.
- On June 23, 2021, Austin spoke before the United States House Armed Services Committee regarding “The Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Budget Request from the Department of Defense”.
- On June 10, 2021, Austin spoke before the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services regarding the “Department of Defense budget posture in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2022”
His prepared statements made multiple mentions of China in the light of an “increasingly assertive” competitor and adversary.
China has invested heavily in new technologies, with a stated intent to complete the modernization of its forces by 2035 and to field a “world-class military” by 2049….
In the Indo-Pacific region, we are facing an increasingly assertive People’s Republic of China (PRC). Beijing’s regional ambitions have grown, as has its footprint around the world, drawing on significant economic influence to encourage and, in some cases, coerce countries into a deepening relationship with the PRC.
But China’s ambitions are not only economic. It seeks to use its influence to shift rules and norms in the region, erode democratic values and human rights, and challenge a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
Austin also noted concerns of U.S. overreliance on certain security-related raw materials and products.
We also remain too reliant on critical minerals produced in or by China. To shore up our critical supply chains, we must focus on building our domestic production capabilities and growing our defense industrial base.
Austin made no significant enough speech or action related to U.S.-China relations in May 2021.
Austin made no significant enough speech or action related to U.S.-China relations in April 2021.
Media
- U.S. DoD News, U.S.-Korean Alliance is Key to Peace, Stability in Northeast Asia, March 18, 2021
- U.S. DoD News, U.S., Japanese Leaders Agree Chinese Behavior Endangers Peace, March 16, 2021
- U.S. DoD News, China Task Force Begins Work; DOD Makes Progress on COVID-19, March 1, 2021
In His Own Words
- U.S. DoD, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Joint Remarks With Indian Defense Minister Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh in New Delhi, March 20, 2021
As the world faces a global pandemic and growing challenges through an open and stable international system, the U.S. and India relationship is a stronghold of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
- U.S. DoD, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Remarks With Defense Minister Suh Wook of the Republic of Korea in Seoul, Korea, March 17, 2021
Given the unprecedented challenges posed by both the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and China, the U.S.-ROK alliance has never been more important.
- On March 16, 2021, Austin met with leaders in Tokyo, Japan for discussions that included China.
China is the pacing challenge for the Department of Defense, and we know that competing in today’s shifting global dynamics can only be done through the spirit of teamwork and cooperation, which are hallmarks of our alliance with Japan.
In His Own Words
- Department of Defense, Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on the Initiation of a Global Force Posture Review, February, 2021
- During travels to Europe with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Austin commented on NATO’s views on China on February 19, 2021.
Indeed, I applaud NATO’s work on China, and I made it clear that the United States is committed to defending the international rules-based order, which China has consistently undermined for its own interests.
Media
- US Army, Looking back for the way ahead: An interview with Retired Gen. Lloyd Austin, January 2018
- The New York Times, Biden’s Pick for Defense Secretary Unlikely to Be in Job on Administration’s First Day, January 10, 2021
- TIME, Joe Biden’s Pick to Lead the Pentagon Was on Shaky Ground. Then the Insurrectionists Came, January 15, 2021
In His Own Words
- Senate Armed Services Committee, Confirmation hearing on Nomination for Secretary of Defense, January, 2021
Media
- The Wall Street Journal, Biden’s Pick for Defense Chief Likely to Face Questions on Civilian Control, China, December 26, 2020
- The National Interest, Joe Biden Sends a Clear Signal to China by Tapping Loyalist Lloyd Austin, December 18, 2020
- Foreign Policy, Lloyd Austin Isn’t Who You Think He Is, December 16, 2020
- The Washington Post, The real reason Biden’s pick for Pentagon chief is the wrong choice, December 9, 2020
Page Last Updated: August 16, 2021
*None of the personnel in this tracker are associated with the Institute for China-America Studies. All images used on this page are sourced from the official Biden-Harris transition website buildbackbetter.gov or the public domain.*
