US Looks to Reposture in West Pacific to Deter China: Joint Chiefs Chairman
Peruvian Navy corvette BAP Guise (CC-28), French Navy frigate FS Prairial (F731), Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90) and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley (DDG 101) gather in formation in front of legend-class cutter USCGC Midgett (WMSL 757) during a ship maneuver exercise during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022.
InternationalIndiaAfricaWASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley said on Wednesday that the US was looking to adjust its posture in the Western Pacific in response to China’s efforts to become the regional hegemon. “It is my view that China is trying to become the regional hegemon within perhaps 10-15 years. Part of that of course is putting the Philippines and other countries in the region at a disadvantage,” Milley said at a Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing. 
AnalysisMake Love, Not War: US Should Focus on Peace & Stability Instead of Egging on Conflict With China8 March, 02:13 GMT“[Those countries] very much, with very few exceptions, want the US there,” Milley added, noting that there is “an under-reported arms race going on in the Western Pacific right now….that’s why we’re looking at a reposturing in the Western Pacific.” Milley said the intention was to be “forward-deployed” to deter armed conflict with China and Chinese aggression. He added that the initiative was urgent and critical, predicting that the next five years would determine the future US-China relationship.
