‘We must be ready to respond to China’s expansion claims’
PEARL HARBOR – With China becoming bolder in its expansionist bid, the United States and its allies should be prepared to take action if and when necessary, according to the newly appointed chief of the US forces in the Indo-Pacific region.
“We must be ready to answer the People’s Republic of China’s increasingly intrusive and expansionist claims in the Indo-Pacific Region,” US Indo-Pacific Command chief Admiral Samuel Paparo said in a change of command ceremony here at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Friday morning (US time).
He called China’s actions in the region “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive,” borrowing the description from Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. who coined an acronym for it – ICAD.
Brawner was among the hundreds of military top brass and other official who witnessed Paparo officially assuming the position as the 27th commander of the Indo-Pacific Command, the oldest and largest combat command in the US military.
“My friend Gen. Brawner from the Republic of the Philippines has a phrase called ICAD and he has renamed gray zone, otherwise benign and dull, into ICAD which is illegal, coercive and deceptive,” Paparo said.
Russia, North Korea as well as violent extremist organizations, which “threaten peace, stability and order,” fall into that category, Paparo said.
Indo-Pacom, together with its partners, he said, is positioned to deny attempts to break the peace maintained by an international rules-based order.
Calling China’s actions, including its rapid buildup of forces, as troubling, Paparo said the US and its allies and partners would continue to uphold stability and order in the region.
As the new Indo-Pacom commander, Paparo said he would “work in concert with allies and partners and teammates to preserve the free and open Indo-Pacific itself.”
“We will safeguard the international order characterized by transparency, cooperation and fair competition and the rule of law,” he said.
He promised to focus on peaceful resolution of crisis, but would not hesitate to confront threats to peace and security.
“But make no mistake, we will be ready to fight any adversary that threatens the peace, security and
