Pentagon sees Taliban deal as allowing fuller focus on China

The Trump administration's peace deal with the Taliban opens the door for an initial American troop withdrawal that Defense Secretary Mark Esper sees as a step toward the broader goal of preparing for potential future war with China.

Esper has his eye on great power competition, which means staying a step ahead of China and Russia on battlefields of the future, including in space and in next-generation strategic weapons like hypersonic missiles and advanced nuclear weapons. He sees China in particular as a rising threat to
The trouble was the Islamic State burst onto the scene, in Iraq and Syria, Biddle said in an interview, and lo and behold it was right back to a focus on the Middle East and small wars."
We still have a long way to go, Esper said. Reducing U.S. troops levels in Afghanistan to zero is our ultimate objective, he said, but added that it will take many months."