U.S. Bulks Up Coast Guard in Pacific to Counter China Fleet
- Cutters to assist with fishing disputes, says vice admiral
- Says return to disputed seas consistent with past deployments
Photographer: Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images
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The U.S. Coast Guard is touting increased operations in the Western Pacific, thousands of miles from American shores, as China’s coast guard and civilian fishing militias increasingly assert the country’s territorial claims.
A presence in the South China Sea and elsewhere will help enforce the sovereignty of partner nations in the disputed waters, U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area Commander Vice Admiral Linda Fagan told a conference call. Coast Guard cutters USCGC Bertholf and USCGC Stratton are being deployed with the Seventh Fleet based in Yokosuka, Japan.