US President Donald Trump has directed the Pentagon to be ready to deter China and Russia if required, signaling preparations for a large-scale transformation of the American armed forces.
Speaking to Fox News on September 3, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed that he had received an order from the president to begin planning for a major restructuring of the military.
“That is why President Trump has charged us at the Department of Defense to be prepared to rebuild our military and reastablish deterrence. Not because we seek conflict and we`ve been clear about that with China, Russian and others,” Hegseth stated.
At the same time, President Trump accused China, Russia, and North Korea of conspiring against the United States. He made the claim as Chinese leader Xi Jinping presided over a massive military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and Japan’s surrender.
The president did not elaborate on what he meant by “conspire,” but reminded that the United States played a decisive role in liberating China from foreign occupation during the war.
Earlier, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appeared side by side in Beijing on Wednesday at a grand military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
