U.S. Indo-Pacific commander says PRC threatens stability in the Pacific
Top Stories | Mar 4, 2020:
Reuters
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is threatening the sovereignty of small Pacific islands and undermining the region’s stability, a top U.S. military commander said in February 2020.
U.S.-China relations improved in January 2020 with the signing of a trade deal that defused an 18-month row that has hit global growth, but strains remain.
Adm. Philip S. Davidson, pictured, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said the United States “was all in” to counter the PRC in the Pacific, citing its “excessive territorial claims, debt trap diplomacy, violations of international agreements, theft of international property, military intimidation and outright corruption.”
“The Communist Party of China seeks to control the flow of trade, finance, communications, politics and the way of life in the Indo-Pacific,” Davidson said in a speech in Sydney.
The PRC has in the past rejected accusations of aggressive behavior and of luring small economies into debt “traps.”
The PRC has been more active in the resource-rich Pacific in recent years, seeking to extend influence with aid and encouraging countries away from diplomatic ties with Taiwan, which the Chinese Communist Party regards as a renegade province with no right to state-to-state ties.
The PRC’s increasing assertiveness in the energy-rich South China Sea, in particular, has raised U.S. and regional concerns.
The PRC claims most of the South China Sea, through which shipping valued at U.S. $3.4 trillion passes each year. Countries including Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam have overlapping claims to parts of the sea.
Davidson’s comments came at the end of a visit to old ally Australia, which included talks with Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Australia, which long enjoyed unrivaled influence in the Pacific, has in recent years been more assertive in maintaining its standing in the region.
In 2018, it launched an AUS $3 billion fund to offer Pacific countries grants and low-interest loans for infrastructure.
While vying for influence in the Pacific, Australia and the PRC have also argued over Chinese activities in Australia.
In 2019, Australia concluded that the PRC was responsible for a cyber attack on its Parliament and its three largest political parties, although it declined to publicize its findings amid concern of trade disruptions.
The PRC denied responsibility.
China is Australia’s largest trading partner, buying more than one-third of its total exports and sending more than a million tourists and students there each year.
“Beijing has showed a willingness to intervene in free markets and hurt Australian companies simply because the Australian government has exercised its sovereign right to exercise its national security,” Davidson said.
