Fox News Senior Strategic Analyst and Retired Army General Jack Keane told “America’s Newsroom” on Monday that the US decision to send two carriers to the South China Sea sends the right message to “our partners and allies.” and it is “exactly the right thing for the United States Army.”
A US Navy official confirmed to Fox News on Sunday that the USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan are now in the South China Sea to conduct military exercises.
“The purpose is to show an unequivocal signal to our partners and allies that we are committed to regional security and stability,” Rear Admiral George Wikoff told the Wall Street Journal, who was the first to report on the exercises that would likely irritate Beijing. .
The drills, to support a free and open Indo-Pacific and promote a rules-based international order, also included “24-hour flights that test the amazing capabilities of carrier-based aircraft,” he added.
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Speaking on “Fox & Friends” on Monday, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said: “The message is clear, we are not going to wait and let China or anyone else take over in terms of being the most powerful and dominant force. ”
Hostess Sandra Smith pointed to a statement by China about the military exercises in the South China Sea.
“This provocative conduct by the United States seriously violates relevant international laws and regulations and seriously violates the interests of China’s sovereignty and security,” said the Global Times, senior colonel Li Huamin, spokesman for the Chinese Southern Military Theater Command. “This deliberately increases security risks in the region and could easily lead to an unforeseen incident.”
Smith then asked Keane, “What message are we sending there?”
“We are sending the message that we are a Pacific nation, we always have been,” he said in response. “We have significant military capacity.”
He went on to say that “we want to demonstrate to our partners and allies that we will not stand idly by and let them put pressure on our friends and partners in that region of the world.”
Keane later said that since the coronavirus pandemic began, China has been “trying to demonstrate to our allies and partners that the United States is no longer the power it used to be, it is riddled with major COVID problems, its Navy is having major problems.” . , etc. ”
He explained that “that has not worked.”
“Our allies are not buying that nonsense, but that’s what they have [China has] they have been calming and increasing their intimidation and coercion from Japan to Malaysia and from Australia to India, “Keane continued.
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“This is in response to that, to demonstrate to our partners and allies that we are there and that we will continue there and that is exactly what the United States military should do.”
Fox News’ Frank Miles contributed to this report.
