US won't let China dominate Indo-Pacific, warns Admiral Paparo

Admiral Samuel Paparo said the US would not let China dominate the Indo-Pacific. His warning underscored rising South China Sea tensions and the region's push for rules-based order.

In Short

• Paparo criticised false legal claims used to justify intimidation at sea
• He said maritime security and open commerce remain vital for stability
• Philippines reported dangerous Chinese manoeuvres near disputed shoals and resupply missions

The head of the US Indo-Pacific Command on Monday said coercive actions by China and other actors were challenging regional stability, and warned that the United States would not allow any nation to dominate the Indo-Pacific. Admiral Samuel Paparo said some actors were using "false claims of legitimacy" to justify intimidation and coercion.

Speaking via video link at a regional security conference in Malaysia organised by the US Pacific Command, Paparo said the United States was seeking to deter China through strength and not confrontation. His remarks came amid continued tensions in the South China Sea, where China’s sweeping maritime claims overlap with those of several Southeast Asian countries.

"That’s not the rule of law. That’s the rule by law. That distinction between law as a tool of order versus law as a weapon of raw power, is the defining fault line of our time," Paparo said. He said freedom of the seas, maritime security and open commerce were central to regional stability, and added that peaceful resolution of disputes and respect for the sovereignty of all nations were essential to preserving order in the Indo-Pacific.

"The United States is clear-eyed about the complex security environment in this region. Our posture and our intent are well defined. The United States is deterring China through strength, not through confrontation," Paparo said. "We will not let any nation dominate this region or sweep away the hard-fought sovereign rights of independent states." He also said the region remained the world’s geopolitical and economic centre of gravity, and that rising instability and security challenges were making cooperation among allies and partners more important.

The Philippines has been at the centre of a series of confrontations with China, especially around a disputed shoal, where Chinese and Philippine vessels have repeatedly faced off. Manila has accused Beijing of dangerous manoeuvres, water cannon attacks and attempts to block Philippine resupply missions. China has rejected those accusations and continues to assert its territorial claims in the disputed waterway. The United States has said it does not take sides in competing sovereignty claims, but supports freedom of navigation, international law and the ability of states to operate in line with their rights.

Earlier at the conference, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said his country would continue to resist and "push back" against the threat from China. He later told reporters that the Philippines’ concerns went beyond the South China Sea, and pointed to Beijing’s actions elsewhere, including a recent ballistic missile launch into the Pacific Ocean, as a sign of its expanding reach and growing military presence. "China is everywhere this is a matter of concern," he said.

On the sidelines of the conference, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn said talks between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China on a code of conduct for the South China Sea had made significant progress. "The pace has picked up dramatically and I think we are much closer to finalising the code of conduct," Kao said. "I have full confidence that we will get it done within this year." The comments at the conference reflected both the security concerns in the region and the ongoing diplomatic effort to ease tensions in the disputed waters.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends