The top US military commander in the Asia-Pacific region said on Wednesday that he does not see any imminent security crisis in the Taiwan Strait.
"We are watching very closely events associated with" the recent Taiwan elections and inauguration, "and so far have seen no indication of an imminent military crisis," said Admiral Thomas Fargo, the chief of the US Pacific Command.
Speaking at a gathering of the US ASEAN Business Council, Fargo said among his concerns in the region were "miscalculation" resulting in conflict in the Taiwan Strait and between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan.
"Such conflicts would be devastating in their own right, and would have the potential to expand into much wider regional conflicts," he warned.
Fargo reminded that the Taiwan issue was "the largest friction point" between the US and China.
"We seek a peaceful resolution of Taiwan's status, free from the threat or use of force, as the only acceptable solution," he said, citing US support for the "one China" policy and commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act.
Fargo said it was clear China was using its rapid economic growth to fuel "unprecedented" military modernization, "which of course is concerning, because we don't know their intent."
He said he had found dialogues with China over the last two years to be much improved.
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