The U.S. Navy is “not in search of conflict” as it continues freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea at a record pace, according to Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who said he hopes to visit his counterpart in China by the end of the year.
Esper outlined the U.S. vision for security in the Indo-Pacific region in a speech on July 22. He said the appetite for multilateral cooperation in the region has grown since the pandemic, and following the recent uptick in Chinese aggression in the region.
