By Miya Tanaka,
North Korea's test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile and other military activities are "concerning" and "destabilizing," U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. John Aquilino said Monday, while signaling deepening cooperation with two U.S. allies in Asia in responding to provocations.
"It's clear that the increased missile capabilities and testing -- from ICBM all the way to the space launch vehicle last month -- is concerning," the admiral told reporters in Tokyo, following Pyongyang's launch of the long-range missile earlier Monday and a military spy satellite in November.
But Aquilino noted that the United States, Japan and South Korea were "able to predict a launch" and, two days ago, "actually pushed our ballistic missile defense ships forward to be postured to defend our three nations for this expected launch."
It is "incredibly hard" to find a missile launcher and position forces in advance beyond the defensive capabilities that already exist, he said. "And we will continue to work to get in front of any launches as opposed to being responsive after."
Regarding China's assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific, Aquilino indicated that a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in November near San Francisco, during which the two agreed to resume high-level military-to-military communications, has yet to bring a drastic ease in tensions in the region.
Referring to recent confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the disputed South China Sea, he said China's use of water cannons and bumping into ships were "incredibly dangerous" and that there has been "no change to the behavior" toward the Philippines before and after the summit.
But he said China has not engaged in "close intercepts and dangerous acts in the air and in the maritime environment" against the United States since the Biden-Xi meeting and noted, "If that trend continues, that would be incredibly beneficial."
Underscoring the importance of communication between the two countries, Aquilino, who has been the commander since 2021, said he has consistently requested to speak to the eastern and southern theater commanders of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, but is still "waiting for an answer."
"I am hopeful that they will respond shortly and we can have a conversation," he said.
Turning to the deadly crash of an Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft off the coast of Japan in November, Aquilino said there would be no impact on operations regarding the Indo-Pacific Command as a result of the U.S. military's decision to ground its entire Osprey fleet worldwide as the investigation continues into the cause of the accident.
"We have a variety of capabilities that can meet those requirements," he said, adding, "I think it's important that we identify what occurred so that we can really protect further and additional lives as we work towards figuring out how to bring that capability back on line."
On Nov. 29, a U.S. Air Force CV-22 crashed into the sea near Yakushima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture in southwestern Japan, killing all eight people on board. The accident was the deadliest involving the aircraft since their combat debut in 2007.
The mishap has rekindled public concerns over the safety of the aircraft, including among locals in the southern island prefecture of Okinawa, which hosts the bulk of U.S. military facilities in Japan.
Related coverage:
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Senior S. Korean official says N. Korea may launch ICBM this month
North Korea successfully tests new solid-fuel missile engines: KCNA
