Takai urges disinviting China from war games
U.S. Rep. Mark Takai wants to bar China from participating in this summer’s Rim of the Pacific war games, saying at a House Armed Services Committee meeting Tuesday that China’s behavior in the South China Sea is “the polar opposite of U.S. objectives in the region.”
Takai, a Hawaii Democrat, told Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that he would follow through with an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act prohibiting China’s participation if the Pentagon does not revoke the rising Asia power’s RIMPAC invitation.
Takai questioned whether China is preparing to conduct land reclamation at Scarborough Shoal, 120 miles from Subic Bay in the Philippines — a step that would greatly increase tensions in the already contested South China Sea.
“Congressman, we’re concerned about that prospect,” Carter said, adding that China’s leaders are “self-isolating” the nation in the region.
“My question then is, why then should we reward China (for its) aggressive behavior by including them in an event meant for allies and partners?” Takai asked.
Carter told Takai earlier, “We’re constantly evaluating our relationship with China and China’s behavior — including in the South China Sea, where I emphasize we have very serious concerns about their aggressive militarization.”
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China has an invitation to participate in this summer’s RIMPAC exercise in Hawaii, “and we will continue to review that,” Carter said.
“But you might say, what’s the logic for having them there in the first place?” Carter added. “Our strategy in the Asia-Pacific is not to exclude anyone, but to keep the security architecture going there in which everyone participates.”
The United States is not excluding China from that security architecture “in which America plays the pivotal role — and we intend to keep playing that pivotal role,” Carter said.
However, the United States disinvited Thailand from RIMPAC two years ago following a coup there.
The Navy’s 3rd Fleet in San Diego, the planners for RIMPAC, said recently that all 21 foreign nations that participated with the United States in RIMPAC 2014 have been formally invited to return this year to the exercise, which is held every other year.
Carter and Dunford testified Tuesday on the fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization budget request.
News agency Reuters reported that the U.S. military has observed Chinese activity around Scarborough Shoal in the Spratly archipelago west of Subic Bay in the Philippines.
Navy Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., head of U.S. Pacific Command headquartered at Camp Smith on Oahu, last month accused China of trying to create hegemony in East Asia and destabilization of the South China Sea — where reefs and islands are claimed by multiple countries — with China’s deployment of missile systems to the Paracel Islands and construction of three 10,000-foot runways in the Spratlys.
China has been rapidly building up reefs and islands with land reclamation efforts to support more infrastructure.
China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei and the Philippines have competing claims in the South China Sea. The United States worries China will restrict commercial and military passage in international waters.
“Our policy is that no one ought to be militarizing these features,” Carter said.
Takai said that if China builds a runway on Scarborough Shoal, Harris, the Pacific Command commander, has assessed that Beijing would have total access across the South China Sea.
Carter said such a step would prompt an even stronger U.S. military response.
“It’s the kind of behavior that we will react to in our own military posture and deployments, and all regional partners will react to, so it will be self-defeating and self-isolating for China,” Carter said. “So I hope they don’t do that. But we’re prepared for that eventuality should it occur.”
17 responses to “Takai urges disinviting China from war games”
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If I recall, during the last RIMPAC exercises, China was invited, did participate, and also sent an uninvited spy ship to ‘observe’ the exercises from a distance. Now THAT was a truly friendly move. On the other hand, Thailand, who has been a close and reliable ally for many decades (especially during the Vietnam War) was dis-invited the last time and is probably not invited this time? Yes, they’re working through a military government due to a coup several years ago, but at least they seem to be stable and slowly working their way back to a democratic government. Meanwhile China keeps building up more reefs and shoals and is arming them with weapons. Perhaps I’m missing the logic in all of this?
It’s like disputed territories in Palestine. China is acting no different than Israel. It feels its claims an thousands of years old.
What a better way to find the vulnerabilities of your enemy than getting close with them–“sleeping with the enemy”; find their faults and take advantage of them and that is what China is doing. More and more poorer countries are looking to purchase more of China’s imitation from the real thing military products because they are cheaper than their real counterparts made in the west. With China loaning out lots of monies with outrageous interest for the constructions of railroads in poorer countries in its surroundings, you bet China is getting ready to take claim to these nations as they are unable to payback the loans…turning each country to their knees and making them China’s 13itches.
Takai will have a better chance reintroducing his Aloha Friday shirt proposal than this shot in the dark.
Doesn’t he realize that China qualifies as an enemy to the USA? And the 0bama administration will do anything for enemies of this Country?
keke–he worked in the legal department–how far from combat can your get. BUT–he served. Biden could have done the same thing.
Takai is a vet, but is no global thinker on this matter. These exercises are there to cement personal relationships between senior military leaders. Relationships that are especially valuable in times of heightened tension and discord.
When the Soviet Union existed we did not invite them to directly participate in Rimpac. We let them watch, but not play.
Indeed, Such mis-understandings led to the sinking of a US naval ship by the Israeli air force during the Arab-Israeli War.
Passing the TPP would be a more positive ation against China.
Isolation is not a solution.
Not the case, the TPP is an attempt to establish international norms in law for trade. Sooner, rather than later, China should join the rest of the world..
China’s participation in RIMPAC is an opportunity to spy. It is much like its participation in fabricating some of the components of the proposed TMT observatory on Mauna Kea summit….crazy dumb. I don’t know that US Homeland Security is even consulted, or has been consulted, or ever will be consulted. Too busy building walls along the Mexican border to keep out all the other Americans.
Opportunity for China to spy on us, find out all our faults and vulnerabilities and thake advantage of them…..
Just leading from behind.
What do they say, Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer. They spy on us, we spy on them. The game being played cuts both ways.
We can also begin building dossiers on their up and coming military personnel and maybe even get some of them over to our side.
As far as not inviting Thailand because of a change in their government, that was foolish as the civilian government had been found to be corrupt. Nothing new for them but
this was done by Obama, who has his own fool hardy agenda.
Glad Takai asked. Glad Carter answered. The debate continues. Strange how a country buys so many American companies and builds up their military against the USA who are the biggest buyers of their cheapo products. Suicidal? Interesting that the Philippines has agreed to renewed military presence there. They need us more than we need them.
Takai, you’re standing on one leg all by yourself. Everybody is better off with China included, but I question why we need these war games at all.