SEOUL, South Korea—America’s defense chief rebuked the Chinese regime on Dec. 2, vowing to confront its potential military threats in Asia and warning that its pursuit of hypersonic weapons intended to evade U.S. missile defenses “increases tensions in the region.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s stern comments after annual security talks with South Korea, a top U.S. ally, are a window into one of the Biden administration’s top foreign policy worries: How should Washington and its partners contain a Chinese military that is strengthening—both in sheer firepower and in confidence—as it pursues an end of American dominance in Asia?
