THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said November 21, 2021, that the United States and its allies need to operate with a greater sense of urgency amid rising tensions and the increasingly assertive military actions of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
U.S. Navy Adm. John C. Aquilino reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to achieving a Free and Open Indo-Pacific region during meetings with allies at the Halifax International Security Forum.
“Look at what the Chinese have said. President Xi [Jinping] has tasked his forces to be at a level of military parity with the United States by 2027. Those are his words,” Aquilino said in a meeting with journalists.
Aquilino said the U.S. and its allies need to work together more frequently in international waters to build interoperability so they can operate together quickly if needed. “We need to deliver capabilities sooner and faster,” he said. (Pictured: U.S. Navy Adm. John C. Aquilino, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, arrives for a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo on November 11, 2021.)
Tensions have heightened as the Chinese military has dispatched an increasing number of fighter jets near the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory. The PRC seeks unification with Taiwan and has threatened to use force if necessary.
Chinese coast guard ships on November 16, 2021, also blocked and sprayed water at two Philippine boats carrying supplies to a disputed South China Sea shoal in a flare-up of long-simmering territorial disputes in the strategic waterway.
China claims virtually the entire South China Sea and has transformed seven shoals into missile-protected island bases to cement its assertions, ratcheting up tensions and alarming rival claimants and Western governments led by the U.S.
Xi has overseen an assertive foreign policy and expansion of the Chinese Communist Party’s military wing, the People’s Liberation Army. It has the world’s second-largest military budget after the United States and is developing submarines, stealth aircraft and ballistic missiles that can carry nuclear warheads. “They are working at a very accelerated pace,” Aquilino said.
The U.S. and its allies have been promoting the goal of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific to ensure peace, free navigation and rules-based international order in the key international sea lanes. It’s a move also joined by Japan, Australia and India in a network of like-minded partners known as the Quad and regarded as a move to counter China’s increasing influence.
Britain and France, as well as some other nations, have also shifted their attention to the region and recently conducted joint military exercises.
The PRC has defended its growing maritime activities, saying it has the right to defend its sovereignty, security and development interests.
“We are fighting for our values and our ability to be free. Those are the stakes,” Aquilino said.
“The difference between Free and Open or authoritarian and closed — which Indo-Pacific would you like to be a part of? It’s clear for the like-minded nations,” he added.
IMAGE CREDIT: AFP/GETTY IMAGES