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	Admiral Harris' Speech at Stanford Center - Peking University, Beijing China
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        <h1 class="title">Admiral Harris' Speech at Stanford Center - Peking University, Beijing China</h1>
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    <div><b>By ADM. HARRY B. HARRIS, JR.</b> <span class="date">/ Published Nov. 3, 2015</span></div>
    <span class="dateline-text"></span>
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<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18px;">Adm.
Harry B. Harris, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 18px;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18px;">Stanford
Center – Peking University, Beijing China<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 18px;">
"Remarks as Delivered" on </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18px;">3
November 2015<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Thank
you for inviting me to speak today and to offer my thoughts on the
Indo-Asia-Pacific and our military relationship with China.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I’m
especially pleased to chat with Ambassador Baucus’ alma mater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Between Max Baucus, John Elway, John
Steinbeck and National Security Advisor Susan Rice, you all are in the major
leagues of academics.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I’d
be remiss if I didn’t start by thanking my wife Bruni, who accompanied me on
this trip and has provided valuable insights about the friendliness and spirit
of the Chinese people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Bruni is way
smarter than I am, and way more forward thinking, as demonstrated by her decision
to study in Shanghai as a Cox Scholar in the 1980s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">She
knew back then what all American students here in China – and the 275,000 Chinese
students currently in America – know now ... that expanding people-to-people
connections will lead to a more prosperous future for both nations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>So I’m honored to be here to share
perspectives with you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Before
we get to our discussion, I’d like to broadly cover some opportunities and
challenges in this dynamic region and spend a few minutes talking about Pacific
Command’s part in America’s whole-of-government Rebalance initiative to this
region.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">For
those of you who may be unfamiliar with Pacific Command, or "PACOM"
as we call it ... it's the oldest and largest of America’s geographic military
Combatant Commands. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PACOM is responsible
for all U.S. military forces and operations ... from Hollywood to Bollywood ...
from polar bears to penguins.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When
you’re responsible for a region that covers 52 percent of the planet, it’s
difficult to provide a quick overview.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>So I’ll touch on a few areas to help generate some discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">PACOM
is composed of almost 400,000 military and civilian personnel which includes about
60 percent of our naval forces – in fact, we have two aircraft carrier strike
groups operating in the region right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>I report directly to President Obama through Defense Secretary
Carter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>And I consider myself lucky to
lead America’s finest Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, Coastguardsmen and
DoD civilians.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">All
of these folks work hard to maintain security and stability in the
Indo-Asia-Pacific – a region with the world’s 3 largest and 5 smallest economies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>From a military perspective, the region has 7
of the 10 largest standing armies in the world ... 5 nations with nuclear weapons
... and 5 of the 7 U.S. defense treaty allies – Australia, Thailand, the
Philippines, Japan and South Korea.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">There
are more people living in this region than outside it ... and most projections
place 7 out of every 10 people on Earth within the Indo-Asia-Pacific by the
middle of this century.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The implications
for the world’s food, energy, and infrastructure requirements make the current rules-based
international order essential to maintaining peace and prosperity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These projections not only point to opportunities
for cooperation, they underscore the potential for conflicts as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Above
all else, what these statistics should tell you is that the Indo-Asia-Pacific matters
to the United States – which has always been, and will always be, a Pacific
nation, a Pacific leader and a Pacific power. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And even as we confront other challenges
around the globe, including ISIL’s barbarism in the Middle East, we continue to
make progress on the Rebalance to advance our enduring interests in this
region. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Initiated
by President Obama four years ago, the Rebalance is focused on four areas –
political, diplomatic, military, and economic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>On the political side, the President hosted India’s Prime Minister Modi
and Japan’s Prime Minister Abe in the last several months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>And recently, he hosted China’s President Xi,
South Korea’s President Park, and Indonesia’s President Widodo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>And later this month, the President will
travel to the Philippines to attend APEC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>So frequent engagements with Asian leaders have been, and will remain, a
national priority for the United States.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Another
part of our Rebalance is the military component – the area I’m responsible for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The persistent presence of U.S. joint
military forces throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific for the last 70 years has
safeguarded the rules-based international order ... a system that continues to
benefit all nations – including China – by setting the conditions for
stability, economic prosperity, and peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We
enhance of our military presence by strengthening treaty alliances, building
new partnerships, advancing multilateral cooperation, improving
interoperability, and increasing our readiness to respond to crises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>We are expanding many of our bilateral
relationships into trilateral and multilateral ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>And our military is actively involved in the
ASEAN Regional Forum.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">While
military activities are the most visible aspect of the Rebalance, the most
important facet is economic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>That’s one
reason why our leaders are working to pass the Trans Pacific Partnership, one
of the largest trade agreements in history and one that represents 40 percent
of the global economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>It will improve
the economies of all the member nations and it will act as a buffer to
potential conflict among members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And
while PACOM works hard to maintain peace and prosperity, as a military
commander I must also ensure that our forces are first and foremost ready to defend
our national interests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>We must be ready
to fight if called upon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>There are
threats to peace in this region.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The
biggest one is North Korea – a nation with an unpredictable leader who is on a
quest for nuclear weapons and a missile system that can deliver them throughout
the region, to include the United States.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
persistent threat from North Korea is one of the reasons why our alliances with
Japan and South Korea are so important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>For decades, these alliances have been the foundation of peace and
security in Northeast Asia and the cornerstone of U.S. engagement in the region. 
In fact, I was just in South Korea where I supported U.S. Defense Secretary
Carter in consultative talks with our Korean allies.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Now, I know
everyone here is focused on China-U.S. relations, so let me address it
now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Some pundits predict a coming clash
between our nations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I do not ascribe to
this pessimistic view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">While we
certainly disagree on some topics – the most public being China’s claims in the
South China Sea and our activities there – there are many areas where we have
common ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>For example, President Xi
and President Obama just reiterated o</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">ur nations’
commitment to realize the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the
Korean Peninsula in peaceful ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>China
participated in the world’s largest maritime exercise – RIMPAC – last year and
will do so again next year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>As I address
all of you today, Chinese Navy ships are making a port visit to Mayport, Florida,
home of the U.S. 4<sup>th</sup> Fleet; while the Chinese Hospital Ship Peace
Ark is visiting San Diego, home of the U.S. 3<sup>rd</sup> Fleet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>And later this month, not only will USS Stethem
visit Shanghai, so too will Admiral Scott Swift, the U.S. Pacific Fleet
commander.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>In fact, there are 33
separate military exchanges in the next two weeks from 4-stars to cadets.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">As Susan
Rice recently said, part of our strategy is to deepen engagement with China at
every level so that we can maximize cooperation on areas of mutual interest
while confronting and managing our disagreements.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I agree with many of my Chinese
counterparts who have emphasized cooperation over confrontation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I worked to advance this goal during my last
trip to China in April 2014, where I was part of a delegation that approved the
Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea, or CUES ... an important confidence
building measure approved by 21 nations of the Western Pacific Naval Symposium
that includes the U.S., China, Australia, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines,
Thailand, Vietnam, Russia, and many others.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Discussing
issues of mutual interest and increasing cooperation for militaries to operate
together are essential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This allows us
to more</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> effectively respond together during crisis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This was never more evident than the search
to locate missing Malaysian Air Flight 370.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>Led by our Australian allies, last year’s multinational response
included China, the U.S. and many navies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>This flight had 239 souls onboard, including 152 from China, and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I want to
express my personal condolences to all those here in China, in Malaysia and all
nations, including the United States, who lost loved ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>We can never know where the next tragedy will
strike this region, but PACOM is working to build bridges that allow us to
effectively respond in cooperative ways.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But as recent news headlines
indicate, there remain areas of tension.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>In my opinion, this is when military-to-military dialogue is needed
most.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Sustained people-to-people contact
is one of the best ways we can avoid misunderstanding and military
miscalculation. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just last week, the head
of the Chinese Navy and the U.S. Chief of Naval Operations talked frankly for
an hour about our recent freedom of navigation operations in the South China
Sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>And I continue to have <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">personal and candid conversations with
Chinese military leaders, which is why I’m in China this week.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Free
and open access to all shared domains is a fundamental principle of the
rules-based international order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>And as
Secretary Carter just said a couple of days ago, the rules-based international
order faces challenges from Russia and, in a different way, from China – with its
ambiguous maritime claims to include the so-called 9-dash line that encompasses
nearly all of the South China Sea.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">
</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">To
prevent the decomposition of international laws and norms, the United States
continues our long tradition of taking a global stand in support of freedom of
navigation – one of the pillars that protects unimpeded passage on the high
seas for the trade that has allowed all nations to develop and fueled the
global economy that has lifted millions out of poverty ... including here in
China.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">International
seas and airspace belong to everyone and are not the dominion of any single
nation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>By matching our words and our
diplomacy with routine freedom of navigation operations, we're making it clear
that the United States continues to favor peaceful resolutions to ongoing
disputes, and that our military will continue to fly, sail, and operate
whenever and wherever international law allows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>The South China Sea is not - and will not - be an exception. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We’ve been conducting freedom of
navigation operations all over the world for decades, so no one should be
surprised by them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>And we’ve executed
these operations while avoiding military conflict – that remains our goal, to
include coast guard and civilian vessels that might attempt to act in an
unprofessional manner in the future.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
truly believe that these routine operations should never be construed as a
threat to any nation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>These operations
serve to protect the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea and airspace
guaranteed to all nations under international law. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The United States takes no position on
competing sovereignty claims to land features in the South China Sea and we
encourage all claimants to solve disputes peacefully, without coercion, and in
accordance with international law.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">That
said, we must not allow the areas where China and the U.S. disagree to impact
our ability to make progress on the areas where we do agree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Both nations have many mechanisms in place to
help ensure they don’t – from CUES, to the Military Maritime Consultative
Agreement, to our recently signed confidence building measures for maritime and
aerial operations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>All of these
mechanisms help strengthen our relationship and enable us to better manage
areas of disagreement.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Ladies
and gentlemen, I’ve gone on long enough, so I’ll wrap up my formal remarks by
telling the story of a guy who went on holiday in the Himalayas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>While he was there, he got the rare
opportunity to visit a monastery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Now,
this monastery was on top of a steep mountain and the only way you could get to
it was to be pulled up the side of a 300-meter cliff ... in a basket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As
he looked up at the rope, he noticed it was fraying a bit, so he asked the monk
sitting next to him ...“How often do you guys replace the rope?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
monk replied ...“Every time it breaks.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Now,
that kind of logic doesn’t work for most of us. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s simply too much at stake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>We can’t allow the rope to break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>We’ve got to remain proactive in this region
in order to be ready for the challenges we see today and tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>And, although these challenges are
significant, they are not insurmountable.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">During President Xi’s recent visit to the White House,
President Obama talked about how there will be times where there are
differences between our two countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>That’s inevitable.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">But he also spoke about how we can draw encouragement
from the ties that have long connected our people so that we can expand cooperation
between our two nations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>He spoke about
the past and how American military airmen during World War Two were sheltered
and fed by Chinese villagers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>He spoke about
valuable ties that are forged today ... and he specifically mentioned you
– students and academics who cross the Pacific to learn from each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>So while my work as a military commander
requires me to look through a darker lens and drink through a glass half empty,
I encourage you to be optimistic ... to drink from glasses half full ... and to
continue your work – building people-to-people ties at academic centers of
excellence like Peking University and Stanford that expands future cooperation
between the United States and China.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Again, thank you
for inviting me to speak, and with that, we can take a few questions and share
perspectives. </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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