EDITORIAL: Indo-Pacific collaboration neededChina is losing influence in the South Pacific following a reduction of its spending in the region, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday. Now would be an opportune time for the US to hold large-scale drills in the South China Sea and Oceania with Taiwan and other allies in the region. The South China Sea, despite being so poorly named, does not belong to China — and if that is not made clear to China now, it will only become harder to enforce freedom of navigation. The Chinese Coast Guard and People’s Liberation Army regularly come within unsafe distances of foreign military vessels and aircraft operating in international areas in the region. Just as NATO protects its members from Russian aggression, so could such an alliance in the Indo-Pacific protect its members from Chinese aggression.
