US military academics to devote half of coursework to China, says defence chief
- ‘I directed the National Defence University to refocus its curriculum by dedicating 50 per cent of the coursework to China by academic year 2021,’ says Esper
- The top military commander also touts plan to have a naval force of 500 ships within the next 25 years
“As part of our top-10 goal to focus the department on China, I directed the National Defence University to refocus its curriculum by dedicating 50 per cent of the coursework to China by academic year 2021,” Esper said in a speech delivered at Washington-based think tank The Heritage Foundation.
The National Defence University is run by the Pentagon, offering graduate programmes mostly for members of the US military and the State Department, and is a key resource in the development of America’s national defence strategy.
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The top military commander also touted a plan to have a naval force of 500 ships within the next 25 years, up from just under 300 currently, an initiative that Esper has termed “Battle Force 2045” and is aimed at maintaining an edge over the Chinese military.
“We need to produce this fleet … a combination of manned and unmanned, to make sure that we could do that, that we can fight into the years ahead, and then do all the other stuff; the forward presence, control sea lanes, and then reassure our allies and partners,” he said.