PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Friday (US time) condemned the People’s Republic of China’s “increasingly coercive actions” in the Indo-Pacific region.

In remarks during the US Indo-Pacific Command’s change of command ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Austin tagged China’s activities as one of the “real challenges” in the region that the world must address.

“You know, the PRC is the only country with both the will — and, increasingly, the capacity — to dominate the Indo-Pacific and to reshape the global order to suit its autocratic vision,” Austin said.

“Unfortunately, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) continues to engage in increasingly coercive behavior,” he added.

“And we can see this across the Taiwan Strait, in the East and South China Seas, among the Pacific Island countries, along the Line of Actual Control with India, and more,” he said.

He made the remarks as China and the Philippines, its treaty ally, were embroiled in another confrontation in the West Philippine Sea.

China on Tuesday used water cannons against two Philippine vessels on a resupply mission to the Scarborough Shoal.

China insists on its sovereign rights over the shoal, which is located 120 nautical miles from Zambales and is considered a traditional fishing ground of Filipinos in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Austin highlighted China’s capacity to impose what he described as an “autocratic vision” in the region, as well as its plan to “reshape the global order.”

He added: “And that’s why the PRC remains the department’s pacing challenge.”

‘We must be ready to answer PRC’s increasingly intrusive and expansionist claims in the Indo-Pacific region.’

Over the past years, tensions have risen between China’s coast guards and Philippine vessels in the WPS.

China claims the vast South China Sea, including the WPS, which is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration rejected Beijing’s historical claims and favored Manila’s sovereign rights in the area.

In his speech, Austin expressed his gratitude to outgoing INDOPACOM (United States Indo-Pacific Command) commander Admiral John Aquilino, who is retiring after 40 years of service in the US Navy.

“Admiral Aquilino took command a year into the pandemic. Vaccines were just starting to become available,” he said.

Be prepared

The United States and its allies in the Indo-Pacific region should remain prepared to counter the People’s Republic of China’s “increasingly intrusive and expansionist claims.”

This was stressed by Admiral Samuel Paparo, newly installed commander of INDOPACOM during Friday’s change of command ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu, Hawaii.

“Our world faces a complex problem set in the troubling actions of the People’s Republic of China and its rapid buildup of force,” Paparo, who succeeded Aquilino, said.

“We must be ready to answer PRC’s increasingly intrusive and expansionist claims in the Indo-Pacific region,” he added.

He remarks were made following Tuesday’s confrontation between the Philippines and China at Scarborough Shoal, where Chinese ships used water cannons to harass the Philippine vessels, enough to cause significant damage to the boats.

Paparo stressed that INDOPACOM is geared to protect the interests of the United States and its allies in the Indo-Pacific against China.

Brawner fan

In his speech, Paparo mentioned Armed Forces of the Philippines’ chief of staff Romeo Brawner Jr.’s name several times, citing the latter’s definition of China’s actions in the Indo-Pacific.

“Some call it the gray zone. My friend General Brawner from the Republic of the Philippines has a phrase called ‘ICaD’ and he has renamed the grey zone otherwise benign and dull the ICaD which means Illegal, Coercive, Aggressive and Deceptive,” he said.

“This demonstrates the wisdom of our allies and partners,” he added.

Aside from China’s expansionist claims in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Philippines’ West Philippine Sea, Paparo also tagged Russia, North Korea, and violent extremist organizations as threats to peace, stability, and order in the region.

“We will work in concert with our allies, partners and teammates to preserve the free and open Indo-Pacific itself, a phrase coined by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe,” he said.

“We will safeguard the international order characterized by transparency, cooperation, fair competition and the rule of law,” he added.

Paparo said the US will undertake these actions to maintain peace and security in the region while safeguarding sovereign rights.

“We’ll bring all to bear in all domains harnessing and integrating capabilities supporting partnerships to maintain peace and security while safeguarding sovereign rights,” he said.