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Biden’s pick for defence chief unlikely to change China policy, analysts say
- Lloyd Austin, a retired army general, will be nominated to lead the Pentagon, according to US media reports
- Chinese observers expect Indo-Pacific strategy to continue under new administration
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US President-elect Joe Biden’s choice of Lloyd Austin, a retired four-star army general, to head the Pentagon is unlikely to affect military policy on China and the region, according to Chinese analysts.
The 67-year-old who led the Central Command – including overseeing operations in the Middle East – during the Barack Obama administration will be nominated as the next defence secretary, according to US media reports.
If confirmed, Austin will be the first African-American to hold the post.
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Michele Flournoy, former undersecretary of defence for policy under Obama, had also been considered a front runner for the position and would have been the first woman to lead the Pentagon.
Biden announced key members of his national security team two weeks ago, but not the defence secretary. He is believed to have been under pressure to nominate a black candidate for the job.
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Austin was the first black general to command a US Army division in combat and the first to oversee an entire theatre of operations.
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