Opening Statement (As Prepared)
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I want to welcome each of our witnesses and to thank them for appearing today.
The Indo-Pacific region is vitally important to our national security interests, and the United States is committed to promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific. When addressing challenges in the region, U.S. efforts should be aimed at easing tensions, preserving peace, and upholding internationally accepted norms in close coordination with allies and partners. A secure and thriving Indo-Pacific is fundamental to regional and global prosperity.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) presents a considerable challenge. Its willingness to act aggressively in contravention of international standards, coupled with its extensive efforts to modernize and to consolidate its control over the People’s Liberation Army, is cause for concern, and coercive actions orchestrated by the CCP undermine regional stability.
In meeting this challenge, we must remain clear-eyed and level-headed and build upon the United States’ strong policy foundation for deterring aggression and for competing on the strategic level with the CCP. In February, Secretary Hegseth announced, “The U.S. is prioritizing deterring war with China in the Pacific, recognizing the reality of scarcity, and making the resourcing trade-offs to ensure deterrence does not fail.” Prior to his Senate confirmation, Secretary Hegseth also characterized the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as “the pacing challenge faced by the United States” consistent with the National Defense Strategy (NDS). It is important to emphasize that the NDS states: “Conflict with the PRC is neither inevitable nor desirable.” It also provides: “The Department’s priorities support broader whole-of-government efforts to develop terms of interaction with the PRC that are favorable to our interests and values, while managing strategic competition and enabling the pursuit of cooperation on common challenges.” The United States and China can coexist and prosper peaceably. Furthermore, the United States should consistently engage with China in constructive dialogue, especially when it may lessen the risk of escalation by miscalculation.
The United States must remain steadfast regarding Taiwan by continuing to support Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities in a manner consistent with the United States’ longstanding one-China policy and the Taiwan Relations Act. With respect to the cross-strait situation specifically, and to competing with the CCP generally, the United States should continue to implement a sound, multi-tool, deterrence strategy that affords every option for effectiveness.
The United States also cannot discount the potential for conflict on the Korean Peninsula, and North Korea continues to threaten the international community. The 2022 Nuclear Posture Review states that North Korea “poses a persistent threat and growing danger to the U.S. homeland and the Indo-Pacific region as it expands, diversifies, and improves its nuclear, ballistic missile, and non-nuclear capabilities, including its chemical weapon stockpile.” The United States must continue to apply a coherent, whole-of-government approach to containing this threat and to cooperate with allies and partners to deter North Korean aggression.
The United States must also continue to monitor Russian activities in the Indo-Pacific region. Vladimir Putin’s contempt for international norms is unbounded, and Russia’s revived naval presence in the region warrants close attention. Reports of collaboration between Russia and North Korea are also troubling. North Korean troop deployments and bulk arms transfers from North Korea to Russia are exacerbating the harms inflicted by Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, and significant Russian enablement of North Korea’s military capacity could prove destabilizing to the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. These and other shared security challenges require constant vigilance.
Strong relationships with allies and partners are crucial to addressing the region’s security challenges. The Indo-Pacific includes five treaty allies and a diverse network of countries with whom the United States cooperates in productive and mutually beneficial partnerships. Various allies and partners are contributing significantly to regional stability, and the United States is actively working with them to develop capabilities and to reinforce posture and presence in the region. For instance: the United States has begun converting the command structure of U.S. Forces Japan into a joint force headquarters to facilitate coordination with the Japan Self-Defense Forces’ recently established Joint Operations Command; the United States and India have reinforced cooperation on developing defense technologies and innovation; and the United States and the Philippines jointly announced a shared interest in expanding defense industrial cooperation. In addition, many cooperative efforts in the region are multilateral, as exemplified by: recently reaffirmed solidarity among the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Japan on trilateral cooperation pursuant to the Camp David Principles; coordination on regional maritime domain awareness with the members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, including India, Japan, and Australia; and plans to develop interoperable capabilities among the parties to the AUKUS agreement, including Australia and the United Kingdom. I am pleased that the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 requires the United States to engage Japan on potential partnership in AUKUS Pillar Two projects and that it authorized the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative to help expedite assistance. Allies and partners are committed to working with the United States in maintaining security across the region, and we must remain committed to advancing these relationships.
U.S. commitments in the Indo-Pacific region have been augmented by the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI) and departmental initiatives, which prioritize modernizing and strengthening the United States’ regional presence, improving infrastructure and readiness, and building the defense and security capabilities of allies and partners. I look forward to reviewing the President’s budget request for fiscal year 2026, as it may pertain to PDI and other important programs, projects, and activities, and I welcome the opportunity to work with the Department to ensure that the necessary resources are properly directed toward optimizing the contributions of those efforts in the Indo-Pacific region.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I look forward to receiving the witnesses’ testimony.