Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told civilian leaders of the U.S. military to remember “China, China, China” even as they wage counter-insurgency battles, in remarks during closed-door talks on Wednesday recounted by a U.S. official.
The comments came during Shanahan’s first meeting with secretaries and under-secretaries of the U.S. military branches since taking over for Jim Mattis, who resigned as defense secretary over policy differences with President Donald Trump and left office on Dec. 31. Shanahan, a former Boeing executive, had been Mattis’ deputy.
