太平洋舰队司令：已准备好与中国抗衡

choi

VOA Chinese, Dec 14, 2016
www.voachinese.com/a/news-us-navy-china-20161214/3635959.html

, which is based on

Harry B Harris, Jr, Address to the Lowy Institute for International Policy. US Pacific Command, Dec 14, 2016/
http://www.pacom.mil/Media/Speec ... ternational-policy/

four consecutive paragraphs:

"Other significant challenges [besides Islamic State and North Korea] are posed by a revanchist Russia and an increasingly assertive China. Both Moscow and Beijing have choices to make. They can choose to disregard the rules-based international order or they can contribute to it as responsible stakeholders. The US obviously prefers they choose to respond responsibly.

"No one, including me, wants conflict. I've been loud and clear that I prefer cooperation so that we can collectively address our shared security challenges.

"But I've also been loud and clear that we will not allow the shared domains to be closed down unilaterally - no matter how many bases are built on artificial features in the South China Sea.

"I say this often but it's worth repeating - we will cooperate where we can and be ready to confront where we must.

Note:
(a) There is no need to read the rest of the transcript.
(b) The 抗衡 in the Chinese title is translated from "confront" -- not more ominous (such as battle, as I first thought when reading the Chinese title, before reading Englkish-language news on this subject).
(c) revanchist (n): "one who advocates a policy of revanche"
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revanchist

(d)
(i) Harry B Harris Jr ("was born in Yokosuka, Japan in 1956. His father was a US Navy chief petty officer and his mother was Japanese;" Commander [since 2015], US Pacific Command (based in Hawaii])  en.wikipedia.org
(ii) "Lowy Institute for International [read: foreign] Policy is an independent think tank endowed by Frank Lowy * * * is based in Sydney * * * Formation 2003"  en.wikipedia.org

(e) The following are from the rest of the text I suggest you not read (which is quite boring).
(i) "from a cultural standpoint, I think I speak for many Americans when I say: we just don't get [understand] Vegemite. In fact, a quick Google search says that it tastes like sadness."

Vegemite
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegemite
(Vegemite is salty, slightly bitter, malty, and rich in umami – a glutamate similar in flavour to beef bouillon)
(ii) "We're exploring greater integration of 5th-generation fighter deployments to Australia and plan to see significant activities in 2017 that will introduce 5th generation fighter operations and requirements to the Royal Australian Air Force."
(iii) "we must have the resolve to confront any adversary and defend our allies against both aggression and coercion. We must have the resolve to ensure access to the shared domains. We have to mean it.  The US fought its first war following our independence to ensure freedom of navigation - and we did that when we were weak and small. This is an enduring principle, and one of the reasons our forces remain ready to fight tonight. We will continue to exercise and protect our rights on the high seas, in the air, in space, and in cyber wherever international law allows."

Barbary Wars
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbary_Wars