Update | A Swift proposal: US wants coastguard agreement with China to help keep peace at sea
US Pacific Fleet chief says pact aimed at avoiding maritime clashes should be broadened, with signs that China could be receptive to idea
The US is looking to expand a naval clash-prevention mechanism agreed with China to include the coastguards, the new US Pacific Fleet Commander said.
Admiral Scott Swift also sought to reassure US commitment in the regional allies but stressed the importance of having a positive relation with China.
Speaking to reporters in a teleconference from Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, Swift said the many regional counterparts had expressed “great angst” over the “scale and scope” of China’s reclamation projects in the South China Sea.
To reduce tensions at sea, Swift said the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea, a regional protocol signed in 2014, “is working quite well”, adding that US is interested in expanding the mechanism to the Chinese coastguard as well.
Since taking up the post three months ago, Swift has visited the Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia.