SATTAHIP, Thailand -- The chief of the U.S. Pacific Command stressed his commitment to "peace and stability in the entire Indo-Asia-Pacific region" Tuesday, as Southeast Asian countries watch cautiously for whether President Donald Trump will alter the American military presence in this part of the world.
Adm. Harry Harris made the comment to reporters during the opening ceremony of the first major military drill conducted under the new U.S. administration. It was the first time in three years that the U.S. Pacific commander attended the annual Cobra Gold exercise, one of the largest multinational drills conducted in the Asia-Pacific, a region that faces complex security issues such as the ongoing South China Sea dispute.
