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| US SecDef Ash Carter |
By Aaron Mehta
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR, Honolulu – US Defense Secretary Ash Carter warned China Wednesday that attempts to expand its influence in the South China Sea will ultimately lead to isolation for the Pacific power.
Speaking in Honolulu at the change of command for US Pacific Command, Carter reaffirmed that the US does not respect Chinese attempts to broaden their sovereign territory through the development of man-made islands in the region.
China has claimed those lands, which the Pentagon estimates to be about 2,000 acres in size, as part of its territory, a move other nations in the region believe is a power grab to increase its control of the region. About 1,500 of those acres have been developed since January, showing the rapid acceleration of China's activities.
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