UNITED States Pacific Command (Pacom) Commander Adml. Harry B. Harris Jr. and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Hernando Iriberri met on Wednesday wherein the two military leaders discussed wide-ranging security issues, including the West Philippine Sea, where the country is at dispute with China.
However, the Armed Forces refused to disclose the exact details on the exchanges between the two on the security concerns involving the West Philippine Sea where China had already reclaimed seven reefs and were fortifying them into military structures, but which the US said earlier must be stopped.
Harris was on his maiden visit to the country as Pacom commander, and which it would also take him to Palawan and meet with Armed Forces Western Command (WestCom) Commander Vice Adml. Alexander Lopez to get a direct grasp of the security issues on the ground, as the Wescom exercises operational jurisdictions over the territory that is being disputed by China.
Harris was accorded full military honors upon his arrival at Camp Aguinaldo before he and Iriberri went into a bilateral security discussions, wherein they also tackled the security issues confronting the South China Sea.
The two military leaders also talked about the US Pacific Maritime Security Strategy report that came out this month and outlined the US Department of Defense’s strategy in the Asia-Pacific region.
The report put forward the need to safeguard freedom of the seas, deterring conflict and coercion and promoting adherence to international law and standards in order to preserve peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region.
The report also emphasized the need for the US to strengthen its military capacity in order to ensure it can successfully deter conflict and coercion and respond decisively when needed in the region and work, together with its allies and partners from Northeast Asia to the Indian Ocean to build their capacity to address potential challenges in their waters and across the region.
The maritime strategy prodded the US to leverage its military diplomacy in order to build greater transparency, reduce the risk of miscalculation or conflict and promote shared maritime rules of the road, and work to strengthen regional security institutions and encourage the development of an open and effective regional security architecture.
Harris was the former Commander of the US Pacific Fleet and whose replacement, Adml. Scott Swift USN, visited the country recently.