'China actions in SCS provoking reactions from Asian nations'
February 26, 2016 00:14
China's actions in the disputed South China Sea aimed at extending its sway in the region are provoking reactions from countries like India, Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines who are ramping up their defence spending, US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter told lawmakers today.
"It (Chinese actions) is having the effect of causing others in the region both to increase their own maritime defence activities, and to align them with the United States. Old allies, like Japan, South Korea, Australia and the Philippines, and then new partners, like Vietnam and India, that are working with us increasingly," Carter said during a Congressional hearing.
"So, the Chinese behaviour is having the effect of self-isolation, and it's also galvanising others to take action against it. That is a change in the strategic aspect that China presents to the region. We're determined to do what the United States has done for 70 years, which is to keep a peaceful and stable environment," he said. Responding to a question, Carter acknowledged that China is placing great importance to developing a blue water navy.
"There was a time when the Chinese military was largely a land-based military. It was a military focused on defence of its own territory. Now, it clearly has the aspiration to extend its sway in the Pacific. And the United States policy there is, as it has been for 70 years, to remain the pivotal military power in the Asia-Pacific," he said.
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