UpdateObama warns against ‘aggression’ in South China Sea during key address
Unchecked aggression, such as in the South China Sea, could draw in our military, Obama says
President Barack Obama declared yesterday that the US remains the world's most indispensable nation, even after a "long season of war", but argued for restraint before embarking on more military adventures.
Obama's speech signalled a concerted effort by the White House to push back against critics who contend that the president's approach to global problems has been too cautious and has emboldened adversaries in Syria, Russia and China.
In a wide-ranging speech on foreign policy to US military cadets at West Point, Obama said that the United States should shun isolationism and that its military must be prepared for crises. "Regional aggression that goes unchecked - whether it's southern Ukraine, or the South China Sea, or anywhere else in the world - will ultimately impact our allies, and could draw in our military," Obama said.
American influence is always stronger when we lead by example
But he emphasised caution on any decision to use force and said: "American influence is always stronger when we lead by example.
"It's a lot harder to call on China to resolve its maritime disputes under the Law of the Sea Convention when the United States Senate has refused to ratify it - despite the repeated insistence of our top military leaders that the treaty advances our national security.
"That's not leadership; that's retreat. That's not strength; that's weakness," Obama said.
Senators of the rival Republican Party have refused to ratify the treaty, saying that the UN convention would override US sovereignty.