Latest news with #HarryHarris
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Strategic pivot, not pullback, if US troops relocate from Korea, says Harris
No US resistance to wartime OPCON transfer to S. Korea; handover depends on meeting conditions -- time, effort, money SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island — Repositioning of US forces on the Korean Peninsula, even if it occurs, would not signify a diminution of America's defense commitment to South Korea, but rather reflect a strategic and holistic recalibration to meet regional challenges across the Indo-Pacific region, former US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris said. Harris repudiated 'stovepiped' approaches, underscoring the improbability of conceiving of a contingency on the Korean Peninsula as discrete from a Taiwan crisis or other potential regional flashpoints, in an interview with The Korea Herald on the sidelines of the Jeju Forum at the International Convention Center Jeju. Anxiety over a possible reduction in the roughly 28,500 US troops in South Korea has flared anew, following a Wall Street Journal report in May that the Pentagon is weighing an option to pull out approximately 4,500 troops and move them to other locations in the Indo-Pacific region. Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell publicly stated that the report of a US Forces Korea drawdown is 'not true,' but his denial has done little to assuage Seoul's concerns. 'There's always the possibility that we're going to restructure forces in the Pacific, but it's not a scaling back,' said Harris, a former four-star admiral in the US Navy and former commander of US Pacific Command, when asked about the prospect and feasibility of a USFK reduction. 'That term has a negative connotation. It implies that we're somehow going to reduce our commitment to Korea. I don't think that will ever happen.' Harris pointed to the Pentagon's classified internal 'Interim National Defense Guidance' — which he has not seen but was reported by the Washington Post in late March — as signaling a shift in US military focus to the Indo-Pacific region, with China identified as the central focus. 'That's not a negative reduction of forces. That's so that we are better postured to defend Korea and meet our obligations to our other treaty allies and deal with the possibility of having to confront China over Taiwan,' Harris said. Harris underscored the need for the US military to break down stovepipes to better cope with regional threats, admitting, 'We have been stovepiped in our approach to operational planning, and I was guilty of that when I was the PACOM commander.' 'We have the Taiwan problem, we have the North Korea problem, and we have the China problem, and we tend to look at these as if they're independent problem sets without any spillover of effects. And that's wrong. We have to look at it holistically,' Harris said. 'If we move forces from Korea to somewhere else, it's so that we can better integrate all of the challenges that we face in the Indo-Pacific. It's not a reduction in commitment; it's a refocusing of our ability to meet all of the challenges that confront us.' Asked whether the number of US troops in South Korea, by itself, is what matters most in terms of deterrence and the strength of the alliance, Harris said, 'No, it is not.' 'It is the commitment to defend Korea to the best of our ability in order to meet our treaty obligations,' Harris explained. 'If — this is a big if, this is hypothetical again — if North Korea invaded South Korea again, then it would require far more than the 28,000 troops that are here in South Korea to help South Korea defend itself.' Harris further highlighted that the US has air force wings and marine units stationed in Japan, and that the US 7th Fleet is based in Yokosuka, stating, 'There are forces that will come from all over the region.' In response to Seoul's growing apprehensions regarding the strategic flexibility of US Forces Korea, Harris emphasized that the issue ought to be viewed within the broader framework of addressing regional challenges through a holistic approach. Strategic flexibility means the ability to be rapidly redeployed for expeditionary operations and used for broader regional missions beyond the Korean Peninsula, including a potential Taiwan contingency. 'It would be hard to imagine a North Korean scenario independent of a Taiwan scenario, or some other scenario, if they were to happen. I see the hidden hand of China in a lot of this. And so, we cannot look at these things as independent actions,' Harris said. 'We have to consider them in a holistic way. And so that's why strategic flexibility is important — not only for the United States, but it's important for South Korea as well.' OPCON transfer when conditions are met With regard to the South Korean military's regaining of wartime operational control, or OPCON, Harris said the transfer will take place once the conditions agreed upon by both allies are met. 'There's no resistance from the United States on the idea of OPCON transition,' Harris said. 'I think it's simply a matter of meeting the conditions that were determined, and that's just a matter of time, effort and money.' When asked what ought to be the foremost priority for the South Korean military to further bolster its capabilities, should the US request that it assume a greater share of responsibility in countering North Korean threats, Harris identified command and control as one of the foremost priorities. 'One is command and control, which is not a thing, but a capability, in order to effectively command and control forces — including US forces,' Harris said. 'So, in order to effectively command and control forces — including US forces — if we achieve OPCON transition, the transition of operational control of Korean forces during wartime, then Korea will have to have the ability to command and control American forces as well as, obviously, Korean forces, for which you already have that capability.' Harris denied that any shift had taken place, responding to a question about whether the nature of the Korea-US alliance has changed under President Donald Trump's 'America First' doctrine. 'No, I don't think so. I think it's about focusing on the threats and how we are going to meet our treaty obligations.' At the same time, Harris noted that while burden-sharing negotiations are expected to continue, Washington's strategic focus is now shifting toward China and the broader Indo-Pacific region. As for Seoul, a debate exists over whether it should seek greater autonomy in its alliance amid Washington's more inward-looking 'America First' foreign policy. In response to such calls, Harris was unequivocal: 'Today, the alliance is needed more than ever. But that's my opinion.' 'If the South Korean people, as manifested by the people they elect into office, feel that the alliance has served its course, or if they feel — that's a hard point — that the alliance should somehow change so that Korea can embark on a more independent course, that's up to Korea,' Harris said. 'It's not up to the United States, nor is it up to anyone else. It's an independent decision that has to be made by both countries. We can't want it more than South Korea wants it.' dagyumji@
Korea Herald
7 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
China's steel towers in PMZ raise 'South China Sea 2.0' question: ex-top US envoy
China's installation of steel structures in the overlapping sea zone with South Korea raises a question about whether it is seeking to turn the area into another South China Sea, a former US ambassador to Seoul said Thursday. Harry Harris, a former commander of the US Pacific Command, made the remark, denouncing Beijing for its recent actions in the Provisional Maritime Zone, an area in the Yellow Sea where the exclusive economic zones of South Korea and China overlap. China has built three steel towers in the PMZ over the past several years, claiming that they are fish farms and a management facility, sparking concerns in South Korea over its unilateral actions despite a bilateral agreement on the PMZ signed by the two countries to ensure maritime stability. "China turns its attention to the West Sea to encroach into the PMZ, disregarding the 2001 agreement between Beijing and Seoul," Harris said during a session of the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity, referring to the Yellow Sea as the West Sea. "Washington-based website 1945 rightly asks, 'If we are seeing South China Sea 2.0,'" he said, quoting an article from the publication. Harris' remarks are seen as suggesting that China's true intention behind the tower installations is to lay the groundwork for territorial claims to the waters -- similar to what it has done by building artificial islands in the South China Sea, where it has ongoing disputes with neighboring countries. Given this situation, Harris said diplomacy and maritime cooperation have become more vital than ever. On North Korea, Harris said the recent developments in inter-Korean ties, with the North's leader Kim Jong-un having severed all ties with the South and labeling it an enemy state, speaks to the view that the regime will not give up its nuclear weapons. "Why am I not surprised? None of this sounds to me like he's trying to get rid of his nuclear ambitions anytime soon. In fact, he's telling us precisely the opposite by his declarations and actions," Harris said. While he still hopes for diplomacy to work out with the North, Harris said hope alone cannot be an effective course of action when dealing with Pyongyang. "The quest for dialogue with the North must never be made at the expense of the ability to respond to threats. Dialogue with military readiness must go hand in hand," he said. (Yonhap)
Economic Times
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
China hikes military incursions around Taiwan
China hikes military incursions around Taiwan Synopsis Taiwan reported a significant increase in Chinese military activity, with 29 aircraft and six naval vessels operating near the island, 25 of which crossed the median line into Taiwan's ADIZ. This follows a previous day's detection of 11 aircraft and six vessels. Admiral Harry Harris urges the U.S. Taiwan detected 29 Chinese aircraft, six Chinese naval vessels and two official ships operating around itself as of Wednesday (local time), a statement by the Taiwan's Ministry of Defence stated. ADVERTISEMENT Of the 29 sorties, 25 crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). In a post on X, the MND said, "29 PLA aircraft, 6 PLAN vessels and 2 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 25 out of 29 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded." Earlier on Tuesday, Taiwan detected 11 Chinese aircraft, six Chinese naval vessels and four official ships around its territory, a statement by Taiwan's Ministry of Defence per the MND, of the 11 sorties, nine crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). ADVERTISEMENT In a post on X, the MND said, "11 PLA aircraft, 6 PLAN vessels and 4 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 9 out of 11 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded." Meanwhile, China's intensifying pressure on Taiwan and its broader aims in the Indo-Pacific require a more explicit response from the United States, former US Indo-Pacific Command Chief Admiral Harry Harris said on Thursday, Taiwan News reported. ADVERTISEMENT Speaking at the 50th anniversary event of the Pacific Forum, Harris called on Washington to abandon its long-standing policy of "strategic ambiguity" and instead make clear whether it would come to Taiwan's defence in a cross-strait conflict."China has made it abundantly clear it intends to isolate and seize Taiwan," Harris said, referencing Beijing's continued military build up and hostile posture toward the self-governing island. "We should be equally clear, and we should never allow China to dictate America's foreign policy with regard to Taiwan." ADVERTISEMENT (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2025 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online. NEXT STORY
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Taiwan detects 11 Chinese aircraft, 6 naval vessels around its territory
Synopsis Taiwan reported increased Chinese military activity around its territory, including aircraft and naval vessels crossing the median line. Former US Indo-Pacific Command Chief Admiral Harry Harris urged the United States to abandon strategic ambiguity and explicitly commit to defending Taiwan against China's aggressive intentions. Harris emphasized China's clear aim to seize Taiwan, necessitating a firm US stance.
