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.