The nominee to become the next commander of U.S. Pacific Command told Congress that North Korea is the most volatile and dangerous threat in the Asia-Pacific region.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is opportunistic, unpredictable and ruthless as he seeks to acquire nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them intercontinentally, Navy Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr. said during his nomination hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday.
Kim is likely to take advantage of a weakened U.S. presence in the region if sequestration returns in 2016 as scheduled and forces the Navy to make cuts to its carrier strike groups, he added.
North Korea's destabilizing efforts extend beyond the maritime realm and into cyber, according to the admiral.
"I believe that North Korea is seeking asymmetrical advantages over us and our allies in the Pacific, and cyber is just one of those methods by which they're seeking to get that advantage," Harris told the Senate Committee.
Harris, currently serving as the commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, said that in addition to the threats posed by North Korea's activities, "The dramatic rise of China's military, the uncertainty about how it will use its growing capabilities and its provocative actions in the region represent our most enduring challenge."
"I believe that a strong China and a strong military in China is not a bad thing, and we welcome the rise of a strong China that participates in the international arena."
Harris said that while he's concerned about China's provocative behavior in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, he wanted to acknowledge and applaud China's efforts in other areas. China assisted in the removal of chemical weapons from Syria, he said, and in counter-piracy efforts in the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden region. "Their work in the search for the Malaysian airliner, MH-370, their work in supporting the Philippines during the Haiyan typhoon disaster last year. These are positive things."
But, Harris added, China's anti-access/area-denial strategies are worthy of a hard look. The greatest advantage the U.S. has in the region lies in its submarine fleet, which according to him provide "indisputable leverage" over China and any other adversary in the Pacific for the foreseeable future.
Harris also told the Senators not to overlook India's importance to regional security.
"I believe that India is a key nation in the region," he said. "I refer to my responsibilities as a Pacific Fleet commander as covering the Indo-Asia-Pacific. I use that term intentionally, because I believe in the strategic value or the strategic balance that's offered by India."
He termed India as "a critical country" and "an important friend to the United States."
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