China undermining international cooperation by putting its own interests first, says US Navy chief
Admiral urges countries to work together to counter terror threats and piracy as Southeast Asian training exercise gets underway
While trust among Southeast Asian nations is improving, especially when countering threats from piracy and terrorism, China is acting to protect its own interests at the cost of others, according to a senior US naval commander.
Rear Admiral Don Gabrielson, commander of the Logistics Group Western Pacific, said nations should not seek to undermine the “existing system” through unilateral actions, without naming any specific countries.
He later said China, which has turned reclaimed reefs in the disputed South China Sea into military outposts, was proceeding with a “long-term plan” for the region.
“It’s important for everyone who has an interest in the region to do their part to understand that if the world does not come together to protect its own interests then China will do everything it can to protect what it sees as its interests at the cost of anyone else,” Gabrielson said on Monday at a briefing in Singapore.
“China is not worried about what anyone else values,” he said. “It is only worried about what China values, and from the United States perspective, that is a problem.”