US-China Relations Updates

In recent years, there has been an increasing voice within the US military that sees China as the number one strategic competitor. Due to the irreconcilable conflicts between China and the US on major issues such as the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, major US military think tanks have frequently simulated and analyzed combat scenarios with the People’s Liberation Army, attempting to identify and correct their own shortcomings and increase their chances of winning a war against China.

US Military Strategizing
Against this backdrop, the views of one US military officer have received unanimous praise from the military. He is Charles Brown, the Chief of Staff of the US Air Force. There are rumors that he is highly likely to be nominated as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest-ranking position a US military officer can hold, equivalent to the chief military advisor to the President and the Secretary of Defense. So, what makes Charles Brown exceptional?

US Military Expertise
In summary, Charles Brown is a staunch supporter of the “China threat theory”. Since taking over as Chief of Staff of the US Air Force in 2020, he has consistently believed that China will become the “biggest national security challenge” for the United States.

Charles Quinton Brown Jr. (born 1962) is a United States Air Force general who serves as the 22nd chief of staff of the Air Force. He is the first African American to lead any branch of the United States Armed Forces.

Brown entered the Air Force in 1984. A fighter pilot, he has logged over 3,000 flight hours, including 130 hours in combat. He has commanded the Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, 31st Fighter Wing, 8th Fighter Wing, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, and 78th Fighter Squadron. He has also served as deputy commander of the U.S. Central Command.

In 2020, Brown was named by Time magazine on its list of the 100 most influential people in the world.^[1] He is the nominee to succeed General Mark Milley as the 21st chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.