"We do expect to release the National Defense Strategy soon," Ryder said during a press briefing. "We will continue to focus on China as the pacing challenge, but also recognize that countries like Russia, North Korea, and Iran will also continue to employ to play an important role in terms of our security and our defense posture."
In March, the Defense Department sent its classified version of the National Defense Strategy to Congress for consideration.
According to the Defense Department fact sheet, defending the United States from the alleged growing multi-domain threat posed by China is the top priority for the US government.
The new National Defense Strategy prioritizes not only the alleged China challenge in the Indo-Pacific but also the so-called Russia challenge in Europe.
On October 12, the Biden administration released the 2022 National Security Strategy that characterized China as being the most consequential geopolitical challenge for the United States. According to the document, Beijing is Washington's sole rival allegedly seeking to increase its economic, diplomatic and military capacity to change the international order.