The top US admiral in the Asia-Pacific has told Congress that America must prepare for the possibility of war with China which has shown a “crystal clear” intent to dominate the South China Sea.
Harry Harris, who has been nominated to be the next US ambassador to Australia, told the House Committee on Armed Services on Thursday that the US would rely on Australia to help uphold the international rules-based system in the Pacific.
“Judging by China’s regional behavior I am concerned that China will now work to undermine the rules-based international order, not just in the Indo-Pacific but on a global scale.” he said.
“If the US does not keep pace [Pacific Command] will struggle to compete with the People’s Liberation Army on future battlefields,” he added.
He claimed that China is using “military modernization, influence operations and predatory economics to coerce neighboring countries to reorder the Indo-Pacific to their…