BANGKOK — A partnership between the United States and "like-minded nations" will keep Asian countries secure in the face of competition from a rising China, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet said on Friday. On a visit to Bangkok, Admiral John Aquilino, 56, criticized China's construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea, a vital trade waterway with rich energy resources where Beijing has disputes with five nations. "We are in competition with the People's Republic of China," Aquilino told reporters. When the U.S. talks about values, those are values that like minded nations share... And I believe that the strength of partnerships with those values will be what keeps the nations in the region secure." Tensions are high between China and the United States in Asia's waters, where Washington says it is defending freedom of navigation in accordance with international law and Beijing accuses the United States of trying to stir trouble.

Source: International New York Times December 13, 2019 07:30 UTC