US admiral warns China is BIGGEST threat to US as Xi Jinping ‘dreams of domination’
CHINA and its “dream of hegemony” is the “biggest long-term challenge” to American dominance in Asia, a US Navy admiral has warned.
By Joshua Nevett
DailyStar.co.uk
31st May 2018
Admiral Harry Harris took a parting shot at the growing threat of China as he stepped down as US Navy Pacific Commander on Wednesday.
North Korea, whose intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) are thought to be capable of reaching the US mainland, is the most urgent threat to the US in the Asian-Pacific.
China, however, is the biggest concern to the US going forward, he said during a ceremony in Hawaii, where he passed over leadership of the regional force.
“North Korea remains our most imminent threat and a nuclear-capable North Korea with missiles that can reach the United States is unacceptable,” he said.
He added: “China remains our biggest long-term challenge.
“Without focused involvement and engagement by the United States and our allies and partners China will realise its dream of hegemony in Asia.”
Harris made the comments, reported by CNN, while handing over his Pacific Command duties to Admiral Phil Davidson at Pearl Harbor.
He is expected to be appointed as the next US ambassador to South Korea ahead of Donald Trump’s historic summit with Kim Jong-un in Singapore in June 12.
The admiral has been a vociferous critic of China during his tenure, regularly commenting on Beijing’s expanded military presence in the South China Sea.
The South China Sea is a natural resource rich region hotly contested by China and multiple south-east Asian nations, including the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
As the head of Pacific Command, Harris, known as a hard-liner on China, played a vital role in the security of the region.
Harris also warned his successor to watch out for Russia looking to exert influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
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