
China-US relations: American aircraft carrier group leaves Middle East for Indo-Pacific
- USS Nimitz was stationed in Central Command amid strained US-Iran relations but nuclear talks have eased tensions
- China is strengthening its position in the Indo-Pacific and teaching PLA troops battlefield English in the event of encounters with foreign forces
The USS Nimitz carrier strike group is heading into the Indo-Pacific region after serving an extended period in the Middle East.
The group had served more than 270 days in the Central Command and was moving into the Indo-Pacific region, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday.
The Pentagon said the departure of the Nimitz meant there was no US carrier operating in the Central Command area of operations.
Kirby said Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin believed America had “a robust presence in the Middle East”.
US service members were based in many nations in the Persian Gulf and there was more than enough air power to counter any adversary, Kirby added.
Austin must balance requirements from various parts of the world, and the United States did not have an unlimited number of aircraft carriers, he said.
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The US, Japan and Australia will also soon host a military exercise at the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, drills that are aimed at increasing the US’ ability to use difficult locations for combat operations.
Jeremy Sloane, commander of the 36th Wing at Andersen, said China and Russia could put overseas US bases at risk, and the US Air Force must evolve from its dependence on well-established airfields.
China is strengthening its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region, especially in areas close to the South China Sea, and often expresses dismay at the deployment of military vessels by the US in the region, saying it is violating its sovereignty.
The report said the language skill was “essential” and “must be picked up”.
“In recent years, countries and forces outside China have been provoking troubles and creating tensions in the South China Sea. The naval forces in the Southern Theatre Command are at the forefront of safeguarding rights as well as maintaining regional peace and stability in the South China Sea,” the report said.
