My growing concern: What does this signal about Biden team's appreciation for the profound challenge posed by China - INCLUDING its hard power & incl military power? We hear a lot from Biden team re competing w China in eg domestic renewal, int'l orgs, summit of democracies. 1/ https://twitter.com/WSJ/status/1336112767783346178

GEN Austin is v distngshed Army officer w long record in Middle E & ground ops. But US now faces most serious military challenge since Red Army - China in the Pacific, which is esp aerospace & maritime. Is this the pick you'd make if that's what you were REALLY worried about? 2/

& Biden team is explicitly saying in @nancyayoussef piece he's picked b/c of vaccine distribution, personnel policies, & climate change. Does that sound like they appreciate urgency & scale of PRC threat? I want to believe they do, but it's appearing increasingly untenable. 3/

Trump Admin made fundamental shift to recognize China as rival & w/ NDS to focus on restoring hard power military edge re China in Pacific. Yet we are STILL in trouble b/c China's power & investment in military cannot be underestimated. See China Mil Power Report etc. 4/

& now this...Comes as a very worrisome signal of lack of appreciation/focus on what is the primary & a generational challenge for United States - AND our allies & partners. 5/