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| US SecDef Ashton Carter |
By Ankit Panda
U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter minced no words: the U.S. is here to stay in Asia.
Speaking in Honolulu, Hawaii—the United States’ Pacific outpost—U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter remarked that China’s attempts to spread its influence and change the status quo in the South China Sea would backfire, leaving it a pariah in the region. Carter delivered the remarks at a ceremony marking a change of command for U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM)—Admiral Samuel Locklear ceded command to Admiral Harry Harris. The statements are notable for their relative directness about the United States’ future intentions for its own role in the Asia-Pacific, and how the Pentagon’s top leadership sees China’s prospects for influence in Asia. As ties between the U.S. and China heat up over the South China Sea and cyber issues, Carter’s comments could prove to draw a sharp response.
“We want a peaceful resolution of all disputes, and an immediate and lasting halt to land reclamation by any claimant,” Carter said in his prepared remarks. “We also oppose any further militarization of disputed features.” He continued: ”And there should be no mistake: The United States will fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows, as we do all around the world.”
“China is out of step with both international norms that underscore the Asia-Pacific’s security architecture, and the regional consensus in favor of non-coercive approaches to this and other long-standing disputes,” Carter added. In a sharp rebuke to China’s rising status in Asia, Carter noted that the United States intended to remain “the principal security power in the Asia-Pacific for decades to come.”
Read the full story at The Diplomat