TOKYO -- The U.S. government has changed the name of the Defense Department's Pacific Command to the Indo-Pacific Command, a reflection of its shift in focus toward checking China's growing naval might in the South China Sea and elsewhere.
The new command is in line with the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy" promoted by the U.S., together with Japan and other allies. The name change, announced by U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis in Hawaii on May 30, may lead to calls for Japan to take a more active role in implementing the strategy.
