Ely S. Ratner, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, testifies before the House Armed Services Committee in Washington, D.C. / EJ Hersom, DOD

Addressing the “pacing challenge” of the People’s Republic of China and advancing a shared vision of a free and open Indo Pacific are the twin objectives of the United States as the National Defense Strategy outlined in 2022 which included the challenge of China has now to factor in Russia’s “lawless war” in the Ukraine and outbreak of violence and instability in the Middle East in the aftermath of the Hamas terror attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.

But the Department of Defence’s “pacing challenge” continues to be the rapid modernization of the People’s Liberation Army and its growing use of coercive instrument by Beijing, according to Ely Ratner, Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo Pacific Security Affairs.

Ratner was testifying before the House Armed Services Committee on “ US Military Posture and National Security Challenges in the Indo Pacific Region” .

Ratner focused on the several aspects of China’s strategies in the Indo Pacific stressing that China continues to be the “most comprehensive and serious challenge” to the United States as that is the only country that has the will and capability to dominate the region and displace the United States as a global player. “… the PLA’s coercive and risky activities in the Taiwan Strait, the South and East China Seas, along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India, and beyond have demonstrated the PRC’s revisionist intentions more clearly than ever”, the senior Pentagon official maintained.

The United States is making investments to make sure that its military remains the most capable fighting force aside from support allies, including India, to strengthen their own capabilities with a view to delivering a more forward regional posture, Ratner said in his opening statement. “… the Department has helped bolster India’s defense modernization plans, including by advancing the priorities outlined in the Roadmap for U.S.-India Defense Industrial Cooperation that Secretary Austin and his Indian counterpart established during Secretary Austin’s June 2023 visit to India”, the senior official added.

“During Prime Minister Modi’s Official State Visit weeks later, the United States approved the unprecedented transfer of jet engine technology to India, setting up new coproduction opportunities, and in November 2023 our two countries decided to co-produce ground mobility systems.. President Biden has described the U.S.-India relationship as “stronger, closer, and more dynamic than at any time in history,” and efforts like what I have described will help our two countries’ Major Defense Partnership to grow even stronger”, the top Pentagon official said.

“…the People's Republic of China (PRC), Russia, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are taking unprecedented actions that challenge international norms and advance authoritarianism. These adversarial regimes are increasingly interconnected, which is evident in Xi and Putin's declaration of a "no limits friendship” as well as Kim Jong Un’s materiel deliveries to Putin in support of the illegal invasion of Ukraine”, said Admiral John Aquillino, Commander of the United States-Indo Pacific Command, stressing in the process that China has the ability to go through with its re-unification of Taiwan in its desired time frame.

Reiterating the concerns of his civilian official at the Pentagon and listing the fast moving challenges of China and the responsibilities of the United States in every part of the Indo Pacific, Admiral Aquillino touched on different dimensions of cooperation and commitment including that of the Quad which is a diplomatic network but seen and frowned upon by China as a military alliance intended to contain the East Asian giant.

“The Quad is not a military alliance, but rather a diplomatic network committed to a peaceful, secure region, free from intimidation and committed to the rule of law. The Quad nations collaborate on matters such as maritime awareness, disaster response, and counterterrorism to enhance stability in the IndoPacific region. Including all Quad nations in India's Exercise MALABAR demonstrates commitment of Quad nations to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific”, Admiral Aquillino said.

In the realm of Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, it was pointed out that the United States and India are seeking unprecedented levels of interoperability by expanding cooperation in the air domain; on land the largest-ever bilateral joint amphibious exercise TIGER TRIUMPH, and not to forget the deepening of logistics cooperation by way of ship repair agreements.

In any discussion of the Indo Pacific, Northeast Asia would have to be included as it has in it the Korean Peninsula that has always been seen as vital to global peace and stability. The region also houses some of the world’s powerful economies like China, Japan and South Korea (Republic of Korea, ROK) not to forget the American economic presence in the area for decades since the end of then second world war. But Northeast Asia is also considered as a flashpoint.

“ Due to geographic proximity, there is significant potential for third party intervention and influence on the Korean Peninsula, should a crisis occur specifically from the PRC (Korea lies within the PRC’s Anti-Access / Area Denial defensive layers) and Russia. Both are mindful that there is a premier Joint Force of 28,500+ American Servicemembers forward deployed to the ROK. These geographic realities, combined with powerful economic interests, make the ROK the linchpin of security in Northeast Asia and a treaty ally we must defend”, said General Paul LaCamera, Commander of American Forces in Korea.

“It is imperative for us to remember that the Korean War has not ended; the Korean Peninsula is in armistice and the DPRK( Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea) continues to develop capabilities that threaten not only the region but nations around the world” Gen. LaCamera observed.