“We’re no longer in a period of overwhelming American dominance, but rather one in which our armed forces are adapting to fight against near-peer competitors who are fielding increasingly sophisticated capabilities,” he said.

“Instead of expecting to dominate an opponent, our armed forces are learning to expect to be contested throughout a fight while achieving the political objectives set for them.”

As such, the Department of Defence and other national security agencies had been stepping up efforts to counter Beijing’s expanding influence, including reorganising China-related portfolios and strengthening cooperation with regional allies, Shriver said.

One of the key features of that strategy was the creation in June of a new office with the sole purpose of monitoring China affairs, US-based magazine Defence News reported.

Though there was little fanfare surrounding its launch, Shriver said that retired Marine Corps officer and seasoned China expert Chad Sbragia had been appointed as its first chief, with the title of deputy assistant secretary of defence.

The creation of the role – which gives Sbragia responsibility for handling the delicate relationship between the US and Chinese militaries – was a major step forward for the US in the implementation of its 2018 National Defence Strategy, which singled out China as its top rival, Shriver said.

According to the Pentagon, Sbragia studied Mandarin at Capital Normal University in Beijing and worked as a US Marine attaché with responsibility for military relations at the US embassy in the city.

He had earlier served as director of the Marine Corps’ China Research Group and after retirement worked from 2011-18 as deputy director of the China Strategic Focus Group inside US Indo-Pacific Command.

In his latest role Sbragia would serve as principal adviser to the defence secretary on “all things China”, the Pentagon said, adding that of the 21 deputy assistant secretaries of defence in the department he was the only one with a single-country focus.

Schriver said Sbragia’s role would be a “stabilising force” in the military-to-military relationship with China and, more importantly, help to “drive alignment on China across the department”.

In August, Sbragia received a Chinese military delegation led by Major General Huang Xueping, deputy director of the Office for International Military Cooperation.

Huang Jing, a professor at the Institute of International and Regional Studies at Beijing Language and Culture University, said the creation of the new position indicated how Washington was trying to restructure its China policy.

“The new role will largely focus on internal coordination among various military and national security agencies, and help develop and implement the administration’s China policy,” he said.

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Collin Koh, a research fellow with the Maritime Security Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said the new post would align well with the Pentagon’s focus on China, especially in recognising it as a strategic peer competitor.

“But it’s not just coming up with competitive responses to the People’s Liberation Army’s modernisation,” he said. “It is also likely to help facilitate confidence- and security-building measures, as well as practical security cooperation.”

Both Koh and Huang said the role need not be bad news for Beijing.

“Having a body and its staff dedicated to, in part, defence relations with China could also promote continuity, and if it ties up with a Chinese counterpart body, it may also give rise to more institutionalised mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation,” he said.

Additional reporting by Teddy Ng