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President Trump ordered Friday to take action to address nearly 300 vulnerabilities in the defense manufacturing and industrial base identified in a full Pentagon report.
Vulnerabilities include risks for the supply of materials and technologies vital to the US military, with China posing a major threat to their supply chains, according to a report to Trump on Friday.
Departments of Defense, Trade, Energy and Labor have been urged to take action, including by developing direct investments in the industrial base, the White House announced.
Expenditures will target critical bottlenecks in the supply chain, support weak suppliers, and mitigate single points of failure.
The measures are consistent with Trump's efforts to rebuild the steel and aluminum industries in the United States. He slapped the tariff on these products this year to increase domestic production, which triggered trade disputes with China, but also with Canada and other allies.
The Pentagon report came at a time when the administration was escalating its demanding Chinese policies, and Vice President Mike Pence warned in a speech Thursday of Beijing's economic and political interference in the United States.
"We will not be intimidated and we will not withdraw," said Pence.
Other actions described by the White House include:
* Accelerate workforce development efforts to increase national skills in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and critical business skills.
* Work with allies and partners on common core industrial challenges.
Mr. Trump ordered the review in July 2017 to assess the lost manufacturing capability and military readiness.
Assistant Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan presented the report to the President in the Oval Office.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said it was the most comprehensive assessment of the manufacturing and defense industrial base in US history.
"The Trump Administration is pursuing an aggressive agenda aimed at rebuilding our military through an increase in defense spending and modernization initiatives, while taking drastic action to revitalize the US manufacturing sector. "she said.
"We are cutting heavy regulations, implementing historic tax cuts, ending unfair trade deals and much more. These policies represent the understanding, described in the 2017 National Security Strategy, that economic security is truly national security. "
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