When Admiral Sam Paparo assume took over as head of the US Indo-Pacific Command on May 3, the last words of his speech were, “May God bless America and let’s get to work.” In his first few weeks in command, Paparo made it clear his priority at work would be China.
From a candid interview on China following Beijing’s recent military maneuvers surrounding Taiwan to a quick-thinking response to a Chinese diplomat, Paparo highlighted what is likely to be the top issues on his agenda the next few years – growing tensions with China in the Pacific.
The former TOPGUN aviator is in charge of more than 360,000 uniformed personnel and Department of Defense civilians in an area that comprises 38 countries and spans 14 time zones. He’ll also be the hands-on US official when it comes to military alliances with allies such as Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines.
Three weeks into Paparo’s tenure, China ramped up its recent pressure on Taiwan. The People’s Liberation Army dispatched scores of planes and ships to surround the island in what Beijing called a test of its ability to “seize power” over Taiwan.
China also released a video showing an animation of Taiwan being enclosed within a circular target area while simulated missiles hit key targets.
Several days later, Paparo gave an interview to Japan’s Nikkei news service, saying the maneuvers “looked like a rehearsal” for an invasion of the island.
“We watched it. We took note. We learned from it. And they helped us prepare for the future,” he said.
