US: Joe Biden signs $768.2 billion defence bill; countering Chinese aggression prioritised

In a major boost to the US defence system, President Joe Biden has signed the $768 billion defence spending bill for 2022, with some special provisions to counter Chinese aggressions. According to the statement released by the White House, the increase in spending includes a 2.7% pay raise for service members and a 5% increase in military spending.

"On Monday, December 27, 2021, the President signed into law: S. 1605, the 'National Defense Authorization Act [NDAA] for Fiscal Year 2022,' which authorizes the fiscal year 2022 appropriations principally for Department of Defense programs and military construction, Department of Energy national security programs, and intelligence programs," the White House said in a release on Monday.

It said that the deal was finalised after tough negotiations with the Opposition (Republicans) and some Democrats as well. The recently passed law also included reforms of the military justice system and COVID-19 vaccine requirements for soldiers.

"The Act provides vital benefits and enhances access to justice for military personnel and their families, and includes critical authorities to support our country’s national defence," POTUS Biden said in a statement on Monday.

In the bill, a special provision of $7.1 billion has also been included to counter the Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region. The new spending has also focused on the ongoing Taiwan-China issue, President Biden said. 

Defence bill also bars entry of goods produced by Uyghurs minorities

Apart from Chinese aggression, the Biden administration also emphasised the Ukraine-Russia issue and has allocated a total of $300 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative and $4 billion for the European Defense Initiative. Besides, the United States will spend a significant amount of money on the research and development of defence missile systems, hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence, 5G, and quantum computing.

According to the recently passed law, the United States will also bar the entry of goods produced by forced labour including, the Uyghurs minorities. The National Defense Authorization Act also calls for establishing a commission to study US involvement in Afghanistan from 2001-2021 and requires recommendations and lessons learned. Also, it calls for prohibiting the transfer of Department of Defence funds and resources to the Taliban.

(With inputs from agencies)

(Image: AP/Pixabay)