WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today led a hearing on force posture and budget requirements in the Indo-Pacific region and U.S. Forces Korea. Throughout the full committee hearing, the Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), Admiral Paparo, and the Commander of U.S. Forces Korea, General Xavier Brunson, testified on force requirements, budget necessities and our capabilities in the region.

During his opening remarks, Chairman Wicker addressed the growing threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party in the region with respect to Taiwan, along with security issues linked to Russian and North Korean cooperation. Specifically, Chairman Wicker made clear that our underinvestment in INDOPACOM has allowed the Chinese People’s Liberation Army to contest our ability to gain air superiority in a conflict in East Asia. Chairman Wicker also stressed that a reduction of our military presence in South Korea would undermine deterrence of both North Korea and China. Chairman Wicker concluded by noting the centrality of the role played by nuclear weapons in deterring conflict in the Indo-Pacific region.

Read Senator Wicker’s hearing opening statement as delivered.

At this point, we hold a hearing on U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. Force Korea.  At the outset, I would like to thank Admiral Paparo and General Brunson for their distinguished service to our country.

Last year at this hearing, I stated that the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific was shifting in China’s favor.  Since then, the Chinese Communist Party has significantly increased its coercive activity toward Taiwan and the Philippines.  Last week, the Chinese conducted an exercise called Strait Thunder 2025A.  This exercise demonstrated the extent to which the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could execute a maritime blockade of Taiwan and pummel it with missile strikes.   As China conducts more exercises with Taiwan in mind, it also escalates the rhetoric against the island.  Last week, a Chinese military officials called Taiwan’s democratically elected president a “parasite.”

The Chinese have also substantially increased their harassment of our Filipino allies.  China’s vast Maritime Militia, backed by the PLA Navy and Chinese Coast Guard, is using increasingly aggressive tactics to advance its expansive claims in the South China Sea.  The Second Thomas Shoal remains a major flashpoint. Chinese maritime militias have tried to keep the grounded Filipino Navy ship, the Sierra Madre, from being resupplied.  Secretary Hegseth recently visited the region.  I was pleased to see that he reaffirmed our Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines, reminding the world that the treaty applies to attacks on the Filipino armed forces anywhere in the South China Sea.  Even so, it is clear that the Chinese have been emboldened by four years of weakness during the past administration.

There is another reason China has become so confident in its malign schemes.  Xi Jinping has steadily modernized his military, and that hardware has made him more brazen.  China boasts the world’s largest navy.  It also has an air force that is capable of denying the U.S. air superiority in the First Island Chain- we’ll certainly want to ask about that, gentlemen.  Its missile force can saturate our theater defenses.  China has been expanding its nuclear arsenal at a pace that far outstrips our own.  Multiple STRATCOM commanders have called China’s growth ‘breathtaking.’  In just a few short years, Beijing has built more intercontinental ballistic missile launchers than the United States.  Meanwhile, our own modernization programs languish from past neglect.

But China is not the only urgent threat in the Indo-Pacific.  The Biden administration chose to ignore North Korea.  It allowed Kim Jong Un to increase his nuclear arsenal and project his military into the European theater to aid Vladimir Putin in Russia’s war against Ukraine.   Kim Jong Un has abandoned the goal of unification of the Korean Peninsula – and again, we’ll want to talk about that - and has declared South Korea to be the principal enemy.  The North Korean nuclear and missile arsenal continues to grow and diversify.  With the rogue nation adopting a strategic doctrine that embraces nuclear first use.

Kim will surely seek remuneration for his support to Moscow.  The Russian technology transfers and military assistance Kim receives will help him to further strengthen his strategic missile forces.  The continued demonstrations of Russia, China, and North Korea aligning and cooperating should be of great concern to all in the West.  This concern should then lead to action.  If we are to maintain global peace and stability, we must continue taking steps now to rebuild our military and reestablish deterrence.

As I noted in my Peace Through Strength report last May, it is time to make a generational investment in our national security- and I do believe that view is bipartisan.  We must be able not only to deter and defeat the People’s Liberation Army, but also to maintain deterrence in other theaters.  Our adversaries, led by Bejing, are playing a global game.  We must be smarter and more agile than they are across the board.

Last year, INDOPACOM’s unfunded requirements list totaled $3.5 billion dollars.  This year’s unfunded requirement list was $11 billion, and virtually none of that was funded under the full-year CR.  This is unacceptable – and also, I hope we’re going to get from everyone an accurate and full assessment of the various unfunded requirements. We need real growth in the FY26 budget request, in addition to a historic defense reconciliation package.

We need more survivable long-range munitions, more assured U.S. command and control systems, and an improved ability to counter China’s increasingly capable cyber and space systems.  We need a wholesale overhaul of our logistics infrastructure and a rapid deployment of unmanned systems.  We need a renaissance in our camouflage and deception programs, and we need a drastic improvement in our shipbuilding.  The risk is simply too high for us to avoid making these changes.

So, I look forward to hearing our distinguished, and well-informed witnesses and having a candid conversation about what this committee and this Senate and this Congress can do – this year – to begin address these challenges.

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