US equips its forces across Asia
Pham Huan – VOV Correspondence in the US -
(VOVWORLD) - The US is equipping and positioning its forces across Asia for a possible confrontation with China, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday via videoconference with the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.
 US Defense Secretary Mark Esper (Photo: Reuters) |
He said the US will continue to send navy ships to the Indo-Pacific region, where China has been bullying US allies and partners in the East Sea, also known as the South China Sea, where oil and gas resources are worth 2.6 trillion USD. “The US policy on the South China Sea champions a free and open Indo-Pacific and makes clear that the People's Republic of China has no right to turn international waters into a zone of exclusion or its own maritime empire,” Esper said.
Defense Secretary Esper said that he has personally spoken with China’s defense minister and hopes to visit China before the end of the year. He said the visit aims to establish systems necessary for crisis communications and reinforce intentions to openly compete internationally. Esper’s speech came days after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced China's maritime claims in the East Sea illegal, a direct challenge to Beijing’s efforts to control the strategic sea area.
Pham Huan – VOV Correspondence in the US