US navy planning to boost presence in western Pacific over North Korean nuclear crisis
Reinforcements may be needed to counter threat, senior commander says, but Chinese analysts argue move could be used to curb Beijing’s ambitions
The United States is planning to increase its military presence in the western Pacific to cope with increased threats in the region, the navy’s most senior commander announced on Tuesday.
Chinese miliary experts believe the US is using the ongoing tensions over the North Korea nuclear crisis as an opportunity to reinforce its presence in the region, but its ultimate goal is to restrain a rising China.
Chief of US Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson told a briefing aboard the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier in Japan on Tuesday that vessels from the Third Fleet in the eastern Pacific could be brought forward to reinforce their naval colleagues in the western Pacific.
“We will continue to assure that we meet all of our missions here in the Asia-Pacific area. It could be something coming forward from Third Fleet or something like that to meet those requirements,” Richardson said, but declined to say when or how many ships could be transferred.
He also reiterated America’s concerns about Beijing’s artificial islands in the South China Sea, where China has territorial disputes with many neighbouring countries.