"Now, it is up to the Department to get to work," Austin said after issuing an internal directive to the giant Pentagon bureaucracy.

The directive, details of which are classified, comes after an assessment by a task force established by the new Biden administration in February to study the Defense Department's strategy towards China.

"The initiatives I am putting forward today are nested inside the larger US government approach to China and will help inform the development of the National Defense Strategy we are working on," Austin said.

A senior defense official said the task force had identified a "'say-do' gap between the stated prioritization of China and what we saw in a number of areas related to attention and resources and processes."

"The directive today is really about ensuring that the department lives up to that prioritization," the official said.

Austin said the directive will "improve the Department's ability to revitalize our network of allies and partners, bolster deterrence, and accelerate the development of new operational concepts, emerging capabilities, future force posture, and a modernized civilian and military workforce."

Pentagon operations over the past two decades have been focused largely on dealing with jihadist militants in the Middle East and not a modern army such as that of China.

The Pentagon's 2018 National Defense Strategy identified China as a major strategic competitor but the task force found that not much had been done to meet the challenges posed by Beijing.

The US military is currently seeking to expand its presence in the Pacific at a time when China has been increasingly belligerent towards Taiwan, which it considers part of its territory.

The United States maintains a significant presence in the Middle East, even as it has begun the withdrawal of its remaining 2,500 US troops in Afghanistan.

To ensure that his directive is followed, Austin will be personally responsible for the implementation of the classified recommendations of the task force.

Pentagon directives follow task force input on security concerns from China
Washington DC (UPI) Jun 9, 2021 - Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's directive on Wednesday calls for addressing security concerns based on input from the Defense Department's China Task Force.

The 15-member task force was comprised of high-level Pentagon officials and led by Ely Ratner, who was named to serve as the Pentagon's top official on Asia Pacific affairs.

President Joe Biden announced its formation in February in his first visit to the Pentagon as president, noting that it was established to make recommendations to Austin "on key priorities and decision points so that we can chart a strong path forward on China-related matters."

Biden called the task force's work a "look at our strategy and operational concepts, technology and force posture, and so much more."

Its two-fold mission was an examination of the Defense Department's China-related policies and processes, and development of a set of top priorities and recommended courses of action.

The United States faces growing evidence that China is expanding its military force and capabilities, according to government officials.

Although many of the initiatives are classified, a senior Defense official identified a "say-do gap," a reference to failing to practice prevailing policy, between a U.S. objective to counter Chinese aggression and its efforts to meet that goal, as a recommended change.

The task force conducted hundreds of interviews and reviewed thousands of pages of policies, analysis and intelligence before submitting its report to the Defense Secretary in April, the directive's announcement on Wednesday said.

"I want to thank everyone on the task force for their hard work and the skill they lent to what was a sprint-like effort," Austin said in the statement announcing the initiatives. "I especially want to note the leadership of Dr. Ely Ratner, who superbly organized and managed this body of work. Now, it is up to the Department to get to work."