A: Hey there, any news from back home?
B: Not much, just that our Defense Secretary Pete talked about US defense priorities.
A: Oh, really? What did he say?
B: Well, he wants to focus on deterring China and getting allies to share more of the defense burden.
A: Deterring China? What does that mean exactly?
B: I think it means making sure China doesn't get too powerful in the Indo-Pacific region. He said a balance of power is needed for peace, but not confrontation.
A: Makes sense. But isn't he trying to weaken China?
B: No, he said they're not trying to strangle China's growth. They just want to make sure the US and its allies are strong enough to balance China's power.
A: Got it. And how does he plan to get more help from allies?
B: He urged them to take on a larger share of defense spending, especially since free riding won't be tolerated anymore.
A: I see. And what about NATO's defense spending?
B: He commended NATO for spending five percent of GDP on defense and said he hopes other allies in the Indo-Pacific will follow suit in a few years using NATO's formula.
A: Sounds like a tough job, but someone has to do it!