Bangladesh, April 2 -- Retired Lieutenant General John Caine, President Donald Trumps nominee to lead the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has warned that the United States military is currently unprepared for a protracted conflict with China. In his written testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 1, Caine pointed to significant deficiencies in the US defense industrial base and acquisition processes, stressing the urgency of strengthening American military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region.

Caine underscored the rising strategic challenge posed by China, noting that Beijings military modernization efforts have significantly improved its ability to project power. “The threat posed by China to American interests in the...