China's actions in SCS raising regional tension: Ashton Carter

Countries across Asia-Pacific have been voicing concern over massive Chinese militarisation and assertiveness

Countries across Asia-Pacific region have been voicing concern over massive Chinese militarisation and assertiveness, US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said, noting Beijing's actions in the disputed South China Sea are raising regional tensions.

"Recently not all the news out of the Asia-Pacific has been positive: indeed, in the South China Sea, China's actions - in particular - are raising regional tensions," Carter said in his remarks before Council on Foreign Relations, a top American think-tank, on the eve of his departure for a visit to India and the Philippines.

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"That's why countries across the Asia-Pacific are voicing concern with militarisation, and especially - over the last year - with China's actions, which stand out in size and scope... They're voicing those concerns publicly and privately, at the highest levels, in regional meetings and global fora," Carter said.

This is the reason why many of those countries are reaching out anew to the US to uphold the rules and principles that have allowed the region to thrive, he said."That's why we support intensified regional diplomacy, not increased tensions, the threat of force, or unilateral changes to the status quo," he added.

"And that's one reason why we are making enormous investments in our capabilities; why so many are asking us to do more with them; and why we'll continue to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows.Because we must continue the progress that has helped so many in the region rise and prosper," Carter insisted.

In view of the changing security environment in the Asia- Pacific region, Carter said the US Department of Defence is operationalising the next phase of the rebalance, and cementing it for the long term.

"We are enhancing America's force posture throughout this vitally important region to continue playing a pivotal role from the sea, in the air, and under the water, as well as to make our posture more geographically distributed, operationally resilient and politically sustainable," he said.

"To do so, we continue to bring the best people and platforms forward to the Asia-Pacific, not only increasing the number of US military personnel in the region, part of some 365,000 assigned the Asia-Pacific today, but also sending and stationing some of our most advanced capabilities there," he said.

That includes F-22 and F-35 stealth fighter jets, P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft, continuous deployments of B-2 and B-52 strategic bombers, and also America's newest surface warfare ships, like the amphibious assault ship USS America, and all three of its newest class of stealth destroyers, the DDG-1000, which will all be homeported with the Pacific fleet.

Pentagon is also bringing America's regional force posture into the 21st century, by rotating its personnel into new and more places, like northern Australia and new sites in the Philippines, and modernising our existing footprint in Japan and the Republic of Korea.

The 2017 defence budget, Carter said US is making investments critical to the rebalance."One is our surface fleet, which under our budget grows both the number of ships and importantly, above all, their capabilities - to deter, and if deterrence fails, defeat even the most advanced potential naval adversaries, and protect the maritime security we all depend on," he said.

"Just one new example of how we're making our ships' capabilities increasingly lethal is by maximising production of the SM-6 missile, one of our most modern and capable munitions, which now has a brand new anti-ship capability," he said.

The US is also investing to ensure its continued air superiority and global reach, including with over $12 billion for the new B-21 Long-Range Strike Bomber.In the undersea capabilities, where it continues to dominate, the US is investing over $8 billion just next year to ensure that it has the most lethal and most advanced undersea and anti-submarine force in the world.

That includes new undersea drones - in multiple sizes and diverse payloads - that can, importantly operate in shallow waters where manned submarines can't.

"We're also making large new investments in cyber, electronic warfare, and space capabilities, a total of $34 billion just next year.Among other things, this will help build our cyber mission force, develop next-generation electronic jammers, and prepare for the possibility of a conflict that extends into space.And more is coming, including some surprises," Carter said.