American president-elect Donald Trump’s choice of a financier to be the next US Navy secretary is a bid to stamp out corruption and improve efficiency in defence spending to maintain an edge over China, analysts say.
Advertisement
Trump last week named John Phelan, a businessman and investor with no military experience, as his pick for the role, saying on social media that Phelan would be “a steadfast leader in advancing my ‘America first’ vision”.
If confirmed, Phelan – who was also a major fundraiser for Trump’s latest election campaign – would be the first person to serve as a US Navy secretary without military experience since 2009, when Donald Winter finished his three-year term.
Winter had previously worked in the Pentagon and on Navy contracts at major defence firms, but Phelan has little public connection to the naval service.
According to analysts, the appointment is aimed at making defence spending more efficient by tackling corruption within the military.
40:43
Trump is back: what’s next for China, Asia and the world? | Talking Post with Yonden Lhatoo
Trump is back: what’s next for China, Asia and the world? | Talking Post with Yonden Lhatoo
A Chinese military researcher, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, said it was a “high-stakes choice” since the secretary will have the task of finding the money and personnel to boost the US Navy fleet while the Chinese navy is growing rapidly.