Mark Esper, defense secretary and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, has urged European allies to "wake up to the challenges presented by China” as the country continues to manipulate international order, CNN reported Saturday.
Esper told attendees at this year’s Munich Security Conference that while the U.S. does not intend to exacerbate conflict with China, defending international rules should also be the priority of Europe and the larger international community.
"We can only do this by making greater investments in our common defense; by making the hard economic and commercial choices needed to prioritize our shared security and by working together to maintain a ready and capable alliance network that is prepared to deter any threat, defend any ally, and defeat any foe," he noted.
According to Esper, China has often expressed its progress as a global superpower in “threatening and coercive” ways and should adhere to international norms.
