U.S. Pacific Commander Seeks More Funding to Counter China

The commander in charge of U.S. military operations in the Pacific wants Congress to give the command more money for defense programs to counter China, reflecting his concerns that the Pentagon’s budget isn’t realigning quickly enough to address the threat from Beijing.

Adm. Phil Davidson, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, believes the Defense Department’s fiscal 2020 budget doesn’t include enough funding to provide “immediate and necessary resources” for the region he oversees, according to a letter he wrote late last month to members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The letter was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

Adm. Davidson pointed to what he said were funding shortfalls for an army task force in Asia, units meant to conduct air, missile and coastal defense missions, as well as a military construction budget to assist allies in the region. In the letter, he also sought funds to modernize Navy guided-missile destroyers built with the Aegis combat system and funds for a “permanent and persistent” land-based integrated air- and missile-defense system to defend the island of Guam.

Read the full article and more in The Wall Street Journal.