Washington: United States politician Republican Mac Thornberry from Texas is to move a proposal to formally create a new fund to counter Chinese actions in the Pacific.

He is calling for the creation of an Indo-Pacific Deterrence Initiative (IPDI), with a US$6.09 billion invest in fiscal year 2021. The fund would be based on the European Deterrence Initiative, a special Department of Defence (DoD) fund for projects focused on deterring Russia that was set up in the wake of the annexation of Crimea.

“The Indo-Pacific has been called our highest priority theatre and I believe that is true. It is time to put our money where our mouth is,” Thornberry said, adding that “this effort consolidates and funds the policies, infrastructure, and platforms needed to reassure our allies and partners while we deter China.

It also serves as a benchmark against which we can judge our efforts in the region. We may not be able to get this all done this year, but it is vital that we make a start.”

A US$1.6 billion defensive ring around Guam. Millions in new military funding for partner nations. A billion dollars for increased stockpiles of long-range weapons. These are just some of the investments on a wish list quietly submitted to Congress.

Thornberry’s request is obviously significantly higher than that of Davidson asked for the same fiscal year, but a Congressional staffer added that Thornberry, who is retiring come January, is realistic that the whole US$6 billion request is unlikely to survive the coming budget fights.