US official warns Asian aggressors will face Western might

By JIM GOMEZ
Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The U.S. secretary of the Navy has warned that any Asian aggressor who violates the sovereignty of other countries in the region risks punitive counter actions just like what Russia is confronting for its invasion of Ukraine. Comments by Carlos Del Toro appear directed at China over its increasingly assertive behavior in the Asia-Pacific region. He told AP in an interview in Manila that the U.S. military focus in the region particularly in the disputed South China Sea will never slacken despite the war in Ukraine. He did not name China but underscored that Beijing has encroached in sovereign waters of its Asian neighbors and violated international law with impunity. He renewed assurances the U.S. would honor its defense treaty obligations to the Philippines.