Puppet Masters

US Pacific Command Admiral prepared for war with China, hopes it won't happen

RT
Fri, 16 Feb 2018 19:56 UTC

The next US ambassador to Australia and the current Pacific Command (PACOM) Admiral Harry Harris addressed Congress with a hardline proposal to deter China's growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

In his speech, Harris commended regional non-NATO ally Australia for its role as a hub for PACOM's military prowess in the Pacific Ocean. "Australia is one of the keys to a rules-based international order," he asserted, signaling that the country would play an increasing part in America's new doctrine.

"China's ongoing military buildup, advancement, and modernization are core elements of their strategy to supplant the U.S. as the security partner of choice for countries in the Indo-Pacific, but China also holds clear global ambitions," Harris continued.

"At the end of the day the ability to wage war is important or you become a paper tiger. [We will] cooperate where we can, but remain ready to confront where we must," he remarked. "I'm hopeful that it won't come to a conflict with China, but we must all be prepared for that if it should come to that."

However, Harris' rhetoric may not be so well-received, as Canberra's interests remain intrinsically linked to the Chinese.

"[We] have a staunch, strong ally in Washington, a good friend in Washington, and we have a very good friend in Beijing," Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull stated in a joint press conference with his Chinese counterpart back in March last year.

"The idea that Australia has to choose between China and the United States is not correct," he added.

Harris's stance comes at a time when relations between the US and China can hardly be called friendly. After Beijing brushed off a July 12, 2016 UN Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling, arguing in favor of the Philippines' sovereignty over territorial waters in the South China Sea and began building military infrastructure on the Spratly and Paracel Islands, the US advocated 'freedom of navigation' in the waters around them.

China has protested the US's presence in the South China Sea. Tensions rose between the two countries after the US Navy sailed the USS Dewey past Mischief Reef last May and USS Stethem past the Triton Islands last July. The USS McCain also entered China's territorial waters last August to challenge China in another 'freedom of navigation' mission.

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Reader Comments

Brakar · 2018-02-17T23:22:11Z

Admirals and generals are admirals and generals. They obviously have to say what they have to say.

It is however discouraging to see how the current rulers of the us seemes to be stuck in an obsolete cold war era kind of thinking.

It is simply not possible to bring those times back.

Brakar · 2018-02-18T10:39:04Z

The point is the time when there was only one (or two) superpowers are over. There are/will now be several "superpowers" / countries which are able to bite back so hard that you will not want to bite them in the first place. That's why the genelals/admirals/dotards "my xxxx is bigger than yours" statements - do not give meaning anymore.

Easy to see if one lives in a small insignificant country, but obviously hard to accept for those used to observe the world from a top-down perspective.

lsjarvi · 2018-02-17T23:30:51Z

They're "ready" for war with China, eh? With what toughened, disciplined, dedicated, and patriotic soldiers are they "ready"? Is it the mercenaries they've been secretly developing? Because it sure ain't the video game-playing, McDonald's-eating, marginally-literate and clueless youths that are being fed into American military maw.

HVACTech · 2018-02-18T01:59:10Z

if you are going to post opinions about my country. please state your own country.

lsjarvi · 2018-02-18T04:44:24Z

HVACTech In WWII, millions of farm boys who mostly came from homes that didn't yet have electricity or plumbing, braved the hell that is war. They were physically and mentally tough, but it took the sacrifices of the even tougher Russians to win that war. The ones who lived through it came home to pick up their lives and move on. Today, the psyches of their modern counterparts are easily shredded. Why? Four reasons: 1) They've never learned how to meet serious physical deprivation and continue to work hard 2) The propaganda narratives about defending home, family, and community are hard to promote when home, family, and community have been weakened into near-insignificance 3) The obvious parasitic corruption of the US corporate/government, and its willingness to sacrifice anything and everything on the altar of hegemony and 4) People who sign on with the military are usually doing it for the sole reason that industrial jobs are gone and they have no other options for making money.

Your self-righteousness is understandable, but dangerous. It blinds you to reality.

blackwolfpaul · 2018-02-18T03:23:52Z

wow, another fake media tale,

the US wouldnt even survive a war with china, just lets say if it did go to war then what?

china runs US goods in and out, they are the silk road, not only many wasted deaths again, but after this so called war nothing would ever be the same, no economy, no trade, no skill trade etc, wars dont happen no more, not world wars, theres way to much to lose after the peace treaty is signed,

the only wars of today are groups invading other countrys, interfering with politics which are not the US business, its all about the mighty coin at the end of the day, really pathetic and surprising how long this so called human race has survived, there just a bunch of ego selfish materialistic hungry beasts whom think they have something to prove,

no wonder higher intelligent life forms from other planets and stars havent invaded here, what is there to take? theres clearly no competition because this human race are to busy finding faults and trying to rule over others foreign and different to themselves.