JANUARY 13, 2025 – Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks spoke about “four lessons” she views as critical for prevailing in the U.S. strategic competition with China during a keynote address at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington.
Titled “Outpacing the PRC: Lessons Learned for Strategic Competition,” Hicks said that staying focused on top priorities, appreciating that execution or delivery is paramount, recognizing that the U.S. has strong competitive advantages it must leverage and attending to one’s own actions and words are all necessary to prevail in such a competition.
Pointing out that “competition” is not synonymous with “conflict,” Hicks said nobody should seek the devastation that armed conflict with China would bring.
“Instead,” Hicks said, “we want the [the People’s Republic of China] leadership to wake up each day, consider the risks of aggression and think to themselves, ‘Today is not the day’; and for them to think that — today and every day — between now and 2027, in 2035, 2049 and beyond.”
In terms of staying focused on priorities, Hicks pointed out that the challenge posed by China isn’t by any means new, and that the Pentagon and multiple administrations roughly over the past quarter century have been tracking China’s determination to build a modern military.
“So, [current defense policy makers] came into office determined to build on the progress of our predecessors — from both parties — and to unlock necessary changes,” Hicks said.
“Senior decision makers must rigorously align ends, ways and means to ensure the strategy itself remains right and DOD can deliver on it,” she continued, adding that it’s the responsibility of those same decision makers to drive change from the top if the strategy isn’t working.
On the topic of execution and delivery, Hicks listed numerous examples of capabilities the U.S. military has produced during the ongoing competition with China.
“From day one, we’ve focused relentlessly on driving changes needed to outpace the PRC and ensure our enduring military advantage,” Hicks said. “The result has been a more modernized, lethal, agile force across our capabilities, operational concepts, posture and much more.”
Hicks also cautioned, however, that China’s advanced methods of intellectual property theft and its large-scale industrial capacity make China “talented fast followers.”
“So, we must be careful about what we say and what we show, because a long-term investment can only be revealed once,” Hicks said. “And we must be constantly pushing to grow our lead.”
Turning next to leveraging competitive advantages, Hicks explained how the U.S.’ strong alliances across the globe prove to be a force multiplier that makes the country stronger.
“Around the world, America’s friends and allies have been substantially contributing to the common defense … And when Beijing sees — as they did last year — navy ships from Canada, Germany and [other countries] peacefully sailing through the Taiwan Strait, they’re reminded that America is hardly the only democracy that wants to see stability and prosperity prevail over chaos and conflict,” Hicks said.
She also explained that, domestically, DOD working across government, industry, academia and non-profits — as well as partnering with Congress and other government agencies — is also a good example of leveraging advantages.
In addressing her fourth insight, Hicks cautioned the audience to attend to their actions and words, so far as how it relates to how China might view them.
“After all, we want our operations, activities, investments and messages to maintain deterrence — not needlessly provoke Beijing into starting a war,” Hicks said.
“We don’t believe conflict is inevitable, but it’s our job to prevent war by always being ready for war if it comes. So, where Beijing might see DOD anticipating a potential conflict, that’s because we’re concerned Beijing will instigate one,” Hicks explained, adding that both the U.S. and China must work hard to avoid such understandings in that dynamic.
With her tour as deputy defense secretary winding down over the next 10 days, Hicks wrapped up her remarks praising the progress that the men and women who make up DOD have made over the past four years, while also providing words of encouragement for those who will contribute to national security in the future.
“As I leave this, my third tour in government … I will be watching for my successors to build on our progress with their own. I will be rooting for those who continue to stand the watch for our nation: our warfighters, civilians, military families and all who support them,” Hicks said.
“And they will remain in my prayers, as they help defend us all.”
By Matthew Olay, DOD News