The Chinese regime is the United States’ “pacing threat”

LIU BIN / XINHUA NEWS AGENCY VIA AP

The Chinese regime is the United States’ “pacing threat”. The general, who was nominated to lead the US Armed Forces in Korea, testified on May 18, and oversimplifying its strategies and objectives could get the country into trouble.

General Paul LaCamera told the Senate Armed Services Committee on May 18 that he was aware of challenges related to competition and shaping the environment to prevent the crisis from escalating into conflict.

“China is our pacing threat,” General Paul LaCamera said.

He said Tuesday that understanding the levers with which China operates is "very important" and that oversimplifying the regime's role on the Korean Peninsula could "get us into trouble" because it operates in both North and South Korea.

“China uses all the elements of national power, diplomatic, information, military, economic,” and Beijing has used the approach to pressure the U.S. alliance, he said.

“North Korea is another arrow in the quiver or another lever in their [China’s] diplomatic, information, military, economic levers they would pull,” General Paul LaCamera added.

19 May 2021

Mary Gill