[House Hearing, 118 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                    PROJECTING PRESENCE AND POWER IN THE 
                     INDO-PACIFIC: AN EXAMINATION OF THE 
                     UNITED STATES COAST GUARD'S CONTRIBU-
                     TIONS TO MARITIME SECURITY

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

                            SUBCOMMITTEE ON
                  TRANSPORTATION AND MARITIME SECURITY

                                 OF THE

                     COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                    ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                             FIRST SESSION

                               __________

                           SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

                               __________

                           Serial No. 118-32

                               __________

       Printed for the use of the Committee on Homeland Security
                                     

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        Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov

                               __________
                               

                   U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE                    
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                               
 
                     COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY

                 Mark E. Green, MD, Tennessee, Chairman
Michael T. McCaul, Texas             Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi, 
Clay Higgins, Louisiana                  Ranking Member
Michael Guest, Mississippi           Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas
Dan Bishop, North Carolina           Donald M. Payne, Jr., New Jersey
Carlos A. Gimenez, Florida           Eric Swalwell, California
August Pfluger, Texas                J. Luis Correa, California
Andrew R. Garbarino, New York        Troy A. Carter, Louisiana
Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia      Shri Thanedar, Michigan
Tony Gonzales, Texas                 Seth Magaziner, Rhode Island
Nick LaLota, New York                Glenn Ivey, Maryland
Mike Ezell, Mississippi              Daniel S. Goldman, New York
Anthony D'Esposito, New York         Robert Garcia, California
Laurel M. Lee, Florida               Delia C. Ramirez, Illinois
Morgan Luttrell, Texas               Robert Menendez, New Jersey
Dale W. Strong, Alabama              Yvette D. Clarke, New York
Josh Brecheen, Oklahoma              Dina Titus, Nevada
Elijah Crane, Arizona
                      Stephen Siao, Staff Director
                  Hope Goins, Minority Staff Director
                       Natalie Nixon, Chief Clerk
                                 
                                 ------                                

          SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND MARITIME SECURITY

                  Carlos A. Gimenez, Florida, Chairman
Clay Higgins, Louisiana              Shri Thanedar, Michigan, Ranking 
Nick LaLota, New York                    Member
Laurel M. Lee, Florida               Donald M. Payne, Jr., New Jersey
Mark E. Green, MD, Tennessee (ex     Robert Garcia, California
    officio)                         Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi 
                                         (ex officio)
                  Vacancy, Subcommittee Staff Director
           Alex Marston, Minority Subcommittee Staff Director
                            
                            C O N T E N T S

                              ----------                              
                                                                   Page

                               Statements

The Honorable Carlos A. Gimenez, a Representative in Congress 
  From the State of Florida, and Chairman, Subcommittee on 
  Transportation and Maritime Security:
  Oral Statement.................................................     1
  Prepared Statement.............................................     3
The Honorable Shri Thanedar, a Representative in Congress From 
  the State of Michigan, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on 
  Transportation and Maritime Security:
  Oral Statement.................................................     4
  Prepared Statement.............................................     5
The Honorable Mark E. Green, M.D., a Representative in Congress 
  From the State of Tennessee, and Chairman, Committee on 
  Homeland Security:
  Prepared Statement.............................................     5
The Honorable Bennie G. Thompson, a Representative in Congress 
  From the State of Mississippi, and Ranking Member, Committee on 
  Homeland Security:
  Prepared Statement.............................................     6
The Honorable Michael T. McCaul, a Representative in Congress 
  From the State of Texas:
  Prepared Statement.............................................     7

                               Witnesses

Vice Admiral Andrew J. Tiongson, USCG Commander, Pacific Area, 
  United States Coast Guard:
  Oral Statement.................................................     8
  Prepared Statement.............................................     9
Brigadier General Neil R. Richardson, USAF Deputy Director for 
  Strategic Planning and Policy, United States Indo-Pacific 
  Command, Department of Defense:
  Oral Statement.................................................    11
  Prepared Statement.............................................    13
Ms. Camille Dawson, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East 
  Asian and Pacific Affairs, Department of State:
  Oral Statement.................................................    15
  Prepared Statement.............................................    16

 
 PROJECTING PRESENCE AND POWER IN THE INDO-PACIFIC: AN EXAMINATION OF 
   THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO MARITIME SECURITY

                              ----------                              


                      Thursday, September 28, 2023

             U.S. House of Representatives,
                    Committee on Homeland Security,
                        Subcommittee on Transportation and 
                                         Maritime Security,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:03 a.m., in 
room 310, Cannon House Office Building, Hon. Carlos Gimenez 
[Chairman of the subcommittee] presiding.
    Present: Representatives Gimenez, Higgins, LaLota, 
Thanedar, Payne, and Garcia.
    Also present: Representatives Pfluger, Radewagen, and 
Moylan.
    Chairman Gimenez. The Committee on Homeland Security, 
Subcommittee on Transportation Maritime Security will come to 
order.
    Without objection, the Chair may declare the subcommittee 
in recess at any point.
    Today's hearings will examine how the United States Coast 
Guard's mission set and unique capabilities advance our 
Nation's goal of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
    Without objection, the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Pfluger, 
the gentlewoman from California, Ms. Kim, the gentleman from 
Guam, Mr. Moylan, and the gentlewoman from American Samoa, Ms. 
Radewagen, are permitted to sit with the subcommittee and ask 
questions of the witnesses. So ordered.
    I now recognize Ranking Member Thanedar for the purposes of 
seeking unanimous consent.
    Mr. Thanedar. Yes.
    Chairman Gimenez. Do you have anybody else that you would 
like to recognize to be able to sit and ask questions?
    Mr. Thanedar. Unanimous consent for Mr. Case to ask 
questions?
    Chairman Gimenez. Without objection, so ordered.
    Without objection, the gentleman from Texas, Mr. McCaul's, 
statements has been submitted for the record. So ordered.
    I now recognize myself for an opening statement.
    Today, our subcommittee is discussing the importance of the 
Indo-Pacific region to United States national security 
interests and opportunities for us to operate more effectively 
in the region. The Indo-Pacific region spans a huge portion of 
the globe and includes more than half of the world's 
population. The waters of the Pacific and Indian Ocean have 
facilitated global trade for centuries and the shipping lanes 
through the Straits of Malacca and South China Sea remain 
critical to today's economy. Fish stocks in the region's oceans 
continue to provide nourishment to billions of people around 
the world. The maritime domain drives the region's economies, 
which together account for 60 percent of global GDP and two-
thirds of global economic growth. The Indo-Pacific region is 
crucial not only to overall global economy, but also to the 
safety, security, and the well-being of American citizens. The 
United States is a Pacific nation.
    Five States, 3 territories, and 8 dependencies enjoy direct 
access to the Pacific Ocean; 80 percent of the United States 
exclusive economic zone is in the Pacific Ocean. American 
businesses utilize access to the world's largest ocean to 
obtain and deliver goods and services to customers at home and 
across the globe. The region is critical to U.S. interests. 
This is why both the Trump and Biden administrations have 
promoted the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
    To support this vision we must address the existing 
challenges facing the region. The People's Republic of China 
presents the most direct challenge to this vision. With its 
illegitimate claims over large swaths of the Western Pacific 
Ocean, the PRC is pursuing its own ambitions at the expense of 
sovereignty of its neighbors and international law. These 
claims, if accepted, would adversely impact U.S. trade in the 
region. In 2016 14 percent of U.S. shipping passed through 
international waters in the South China Sea. If access to the 
shipping lanes in the South China Sea was impeded, it would 
have a significant impact on our economy.
    PRC is also continuously disrespecting the sovereignty of 
countries in the region as its distance water fishing fleet 
pillages fish stocks in other nations' exclusive economic 
zones. The United States is being adversely impacted by this 
trend. Illegal fishing by PRC vessels is depleting the tuna 
stocks off the coast of American Samoa, which is having a 
ruinous effect on the territory's fishing industry. These 
fishing fleets also have a wide reputation for human rights 
abuses on their fishing vessels, with many crew members 
reporting physical and verbal abuse and having to work grueling 
hours without access to sufficient food and water.
    The PRC's malign actions in the region are also 
facilitating other illegal activities by large and 
sophisticated transnational criminal organizations. These 
trends will undermine the vision of a free and open Indo-
Pacific and we must address them to realize our vision.
    The United States Coast Guard plays a critical role in U.S. 
activity in the Indo-Pacific region. Since its establishments 
in 1790, the U.S. Coast Guard has provided invaluable service 
to the American people by securing our territorial waters, 
enforcing our laws at sea, and performing life-saving missions 
in our maritime environment. In the region, Coast Guard vessels 
patrol the EEZs of the United States and partner nations, and 
Coast Guard personnel on land provide much-needed expertise to 
bolster the security and law enforcement capabilities of our 
allies and partners. Coast Guard's presence in the region 
strengthens the work also being done by the wider U.S. 
military, the Department of State, and other Federal actors to 
advance the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
    [The statement of Chairman Gimenez follows:]
                Statement of Chairman Carlos A. Gimenez
                           September 28, 2023
    Today, our subcommittee is discussing the importance of the Indo-
Pacific region to U.S. national security interests and opportunities 
for us to operate more effectively in the region.
    The Indo-Pacific region spans a huge portion of the globe and 
includes more than half of the world's population.
    The waters of the Pacific and Indian Ocean have facilitated global 
trade for centuries, and the shipping lanes through the Strait of 
Malacca and South China Sea remain critical to today's economy.
    Fish stocks in the region's oceans continue to provide nourishment 
to billions around the world.
    The maritime domain drives the economies within the region, which 
account for 60 percent of global GDP and two-thirds of global economic 
growth.
    The Indo-Pacific region is crucial not only to the overall global 
economy but also to the safety, security, and well-being of American 
citizens.
    The United States is a Pacific nation, with 5 States, 3 
territories, and 8 dependencies enjoying direct access to the Pacific 
Ocean.
    Eighty percent of the United States' Exclusive Economic Zone is in 
the Pacific Ocean.
    American businesses utilize access to the world's largest ocean to 
obtain and deliver goods and services to customers at home and across 
the globe.
    The region is critical to U.S. interests.
    This is why both the Trump and Biden administrations have promoted 
the vision of a ``free and open Indo-Pacific.''
    To support this vision, we must address the existing challenges 
facing the region.
    The People's Republic of China presents the most direct challenge 
to this vision.
    With its illegitimate claims over large swaths of the Western 
Pacific Ocean, the PRC is pursuing its own ambitions at the expense of 
the sovereignty of its neighbors and international law.
    These claims, if accepted, would adversely impact U.S. trade in the 
region.
    In 2016, 14 percent of U.S. shipping passed through international 
waters in the South China Sea.
    If access to the shipping lanes in the South China Sea was impeded, 
it would have a significant impact on our economy.
    The PRC is also continuously disrespecting the sovereignty of 
countries in the region as its Distance Water Fishing fleet pillages 
fish stocks.
    The United States is being adversely impacted by this trend--
illegal fishing by PRC vessels is depleting the tuna stocks off the 
coast of American Samoa, which is having a ruinous effect on the 
territory's fishing industry. These fishing fleets also have a wide 
reputation for human rights abuses on their fishing vessels with many 
crew reporting physical and verbal abuse and having to work grueling 
hours without access to sufficient food and water.
    The PRC's malign actions in the region are also facilitating other 
illegal activity by large and sophisticated transnational criminal 
organizations.
    These trends all undermine the vision of a ``free and open Indo-
Pacific,'' and we must address them to realize this vision.
    The United States Coast Guard plays a critical role in U.S. 
activity in the Indo-Pacific region.
    Since its establishment in 1790, the U.S. Coast Guard has provided 
invaluable service to the American people by securing our territorial 
waters, enforcing our laws at sea, and performing life-saving missions 
in our maritime environment.
    In the region, Coast Guard vessels patrol the EEZs of the United 
States and partner nations, and Coast Guard personnel on land provide 
much-needed expertise to bolster the security and law enforcement 
capabilities of our allies and partners.
    The Coast Guard's presence in the region strengthens the work also 
being done by the wider U.S. military, the Department of State, and 
other Federal actors to advance the vision of a ``free and open Indo-
Pacific.''
    I am grateful that we are joined by a distinguished panel of 
witnesses who are prepared to speak about this work.
    Vice Admiral Tiongson, Brigadier General Richardson, and Deputy 
Assistant Secretary Dawson, thank you for testifying before the 
subcommittee this morning on this important topic.
    I look forward to your insights.

    Chairman Gimenez. I am grateful that we are joined by a 
distinguished panel of witnesses who are prepared to speak 
about this work.
    Vice Admiral Tiongson--I am sorry, is that correct?
    Admiral Tiongson. Tiongson, sir. Tiongson.
    Chairman Gimenez. Tiongson. Sorry. OK. Tiongson--Brigadier 
General Richardson--did I pronounce that right? OK, I am glad--
and, Deputy Assistant Secretary Dawson, thank you for 
testifying before the subcommittee this morning on this 
important topic. I look forward to your insights. Now turn it 
over to the Ranking Member for his opening statements.
    Mr. Thanedar. Thank you, Chairman Gimenez, for calling 
today's hearing, and good morning. Thank you to our witnesses 
for sharing their expertise with us here today.
    The United States Coast Guard faces tremendous challenges 
in the wide-open waters of the Indo-Pacific, from limited 
resources and expanding demands on their mission to aggression 
from maligned state actors and a changing climate. But the 
Coast Guard is also well-positioned to partner with the State 
Department, the Department of Defense, and allied nations in 
the region to support diplomacy, disaster relief, search-and-
rescue operations, and law enforcement to uphold the rules-
based international order in the Indo-Pacific.
    I am eager to hear from our witnesses today on how the 
Coast Guard can best support diplomatic solutions to 
counteraggression and lawlessness from the People's Republic of 
China and other nations that violate international sovereignty 
and global law, including through partnership with other large 
nations, like the country I was born in, India. I am also 
interested to learn more about how the Coast Guard is best 
positioned to assist small island nations in the Indo-Pacific 
to invest in a climate-resilient future and safeguard their own 
maritime sovereignty.
    The Chinese fishing fleet has shown alarming disregard for 
the law and threatens the fishing stock that is vital to many 
nations and families across the region. One thing is certain, 
with a Government shutdown only days away, Congress must act 
immediately to ensure operations in the Indo-Pacific and around 
the globe are fully funded for this fiscal year. Our national 
security and the livelihoods of millions of Americans depend on 
us this week, and we cannot fail them.
    The uncertainty created by the right-wing Republicans 
hearkens back to the 2019 shutdown that left Coast Guard 
members working without pay for weeks. We must respect the 
sacrifice and service of our military families and provide them 
the paychecks they earn.
    Thank you again to Chairman Gimenez and to all of our 
witnesses.
    I yield back.
    [The statement of Ranking Member Thanedar follows:]
               Statement of Ranking Member Shri Thanedar
                           September 28, 2023
    Good morning.
    Thank you, Chairman Gimenez, for calling today's hearing, and thank 
you to our witnesses for sharing their expertise with us here today.
    The United States Coast Guard faces tremendous challenges in the 
wide-open waters of the Indo-Pacific, from limited resources and 
expanding demands on their mission, to aggression from malign state 
actors and a changing climate.
    But the Coast Guard is also well-positioned to partner with the 
State Department, the Department of Defense, and allied nations in the 
region to support diplomacy, disaster relief, search-and-rescue 
operations, and law enforcement to uphold the rules-based international 
order in the Indo-Pacific.
    I am eager to hear from our witnesses today on how the Coast Guard 
can best support diplomatic solutions to counter aggression and 
lawlessness from the People's Republic of China and other nations that 
violate international sovereignty and global law, including through 
partnerships with other large nations like my country of birth, India.
    I am also interested to learn more about how the Coast Guard is 
best positioned to assist small island nations in the Indo-Pacific to 
invest in a climate-resilient future and safeguard their own maritime 
sovereignty.
    The Chinese fishing fleet has shown alarming disregard for the law 
and threatens the fishing stock that is vital to many nations and 
families across the region.
    One thing is certain: with a Government shutdown only days away, 
Congress must act immediately to ensure operations in the Indo-Pacific 
and around the globe are fully funded for this fiscal year.
    Our national security and the livelihoods of millions of Americans 
depend on us this week, and we cannot fail them.
    The uncertainty created by the right-wing Republicans harkens back 
to the 2019 shutdown that left Coast Guard members working without pay 
for weeks. We must respect the sacrifice and service of our military 
families and provide them the paychecks they earn.
    Thank you again to Chairman Gimenez, and to all our witnesses.
    I yield back.

    Chairman Gimenez. Thank you to the Ranking Member.
    Other Members of the committee are reminded that opening 
statements may be submitted for the record.
    [The statement of Chairman Green, Ranking Member Thompson, 
and Hon. McCaul follows:]

               Statement of Chairman Mark E. Green, M.D.
                           September 28, 2023
    Thank you, Chairman Gimenez and Ranking Member Thanedar for 
convening this hearing today.
    The 17th Century English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh once wrote, 
``Whoever commands the sea commands the trade; whoever commands the 
trade of the world commands the riches of the world, and consequently 
the world itself.''
    Since the end of the Cold War, we have existed in a unipolar world 
in which control of the sea has largely been unchallenged.
    On the high seas, the United States has helped create a world order 
that prioritizes respect for international law and norms.
    Our instruments of national power--including the U.S. Coast Guard, 
the U.S. military, and the Department of State--have helped maintain 
this world order with presence, engagement, and, at times, execution of 
law enforcement or defense authorities established in domestic statute 
or by international agreements.
    However, this world order is under threat from the People's 
Republic of China.
    In the South China Sea, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has 
undertaken a strategy of adopting territorial claims that are 
inconsistent with international law and norms governing the high seas.
    As the steady flow of news stories demonstrates, the PRC employs 
nefarious methods to uphold its illegitimate claims.
    Last month, the Chinese Coast Guard used a water cannon against a 
Philippine vessel within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone, and 
against a Vietnamese fishing vessel off the Vietnamese coast.
    Additionally, in pursuing natural resources at sea, the PRC 
routinely disregards the sovereign rights of nations in the Indo-
Pacific region and even as far away as West Africa.
    As a nation dependent upon not only free and uninhibited access to 
the world's oceans but also the bedrock of international law and norms 
to maintain peace and order, the United States must stand strong in the 
face of the PRC's increasingly belligerent and aggressive actions.
    This is no easy task, especially in our region of focus today, the 
Indo-Pacific.
    Stretching from Southern California to South Africa and from Alaska 
to Antarctica, the Indo-Pacific region stretches our personnel and 
assets across a wide swath of the globe.
    The tyranny of distance is real in this region.
    Our military experienced this first-hand during World War II, when 
our forces in the Pacific often had to transit distances comparable to 
the size of the continental United States.
    We would do well to keep that experience in mind today, for while 
technology has changed since World War II, geography has not.
    We must also be mindful of the rising tensions between the United 
States and the PRC.
    While we must maintain our sovereignty and uphold the norms that 
keep the peace abroad, I do not want to see us start a new Cold War.
    The United States Coast Guard offers unique capabilities in 
addressing these issues with the appropriate level of strength and 
tact.
    The Coast Guard has decades of experience operating in the Indo-
Pacific and already has relationships with many countries in the 
region.
    Furthermore, the Coast Guard's law enforcement capabilities offer 
the United States a less threatening alternative than conventional 
military force in bolstering the security presence in the region.
    Our Sentinels can play the role of diplomat, technical expert, 
police officer, and, if necessary, surface combatant.
    In doing so, they also reinforce the efforts of our military and 
our State Department in the region.
    Thus, the Coast Guard is an invaluable tool in ensuring that the 
United States heeds Sir Walter Raleigh's words and ensures that neither 
the PRC nor other malign actors wrestles away our command of the high 
seas.
    I am grateful that we have before us witnesses representing not 
only the U.S. Coast Guard, but also U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and the 
U.S. Department of State, which together represent three important 
components of national power in the Indo-Pacific region.
    I thank our witnesses for appearing before the subcommittee today, 
and I look forward to their testimonies.
    I yield back.
                                 ______
                                 
             Statement of Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson
                           September 28, 2023
    Good morning. Thank you to Chairman Gimenez and Ranking Member 
Thanedar for calling today's hearing on maritime security challenges in 
the Indo-Pacific, and thank you to our witnesses for testifying on this 
important topic.
    The Indo-Pacific region is increasingly critical to the efforts of 
the U.S. Coast Guard and its partners to secure the maritime domain and 
enforce an international rules-based order.
    The region faces a variety of challenges, from rising sea levels as 
a result of climate change, to aggressive territorial claims and 
fishing tactics from malign state actors, including the People's 
Republic of China.
    Small island nations in the region have limited resources to 
respond to disasters and defend their territorial waters, and the Coast 
Guard's ability to provide support and partnership to those nations is 
key to advancing U.S. interests in the region.
    The Coast Guard engages in valuable training, exercises, and 
personnel exchanges with partners in region to bolster maritime law 
enforcement, port security, search and rescue, disaster response 
capabilities, and enforcement of illegal, unreported, and unregulated 
fishing.
    The Coast Guard has limited resources, however, and the vastness of 
the Pacific makes it impossible for the service to deploy everywhere it 
would like to.
    Congress must invest in the Coast Guard's cutter programs and 
workforce to maximize its ability to deploy throughout the Indo-
Pacific.
    The Coast Guard's coordination and collaboration with the 
Departments of Defense and State is also critical to ensuring limited 
resources are deployed optimally.
    I am eager to learn more about how the agencies represented by the 
witnesses here today work in concert to support both military readiness 
and diplomacy.
    I must also note that the witnesses testifying today represent 
large workforces of civil servants who provide critical functions on 
behalf of the United States.
    If the Republican Majority follows through on its threats to shut 
down the Government, these workers will be forced to work without pay, 
jeopardizing their ability to advance U.S. interests at home and 
abroad.
    I hope the Majority will step back from the ledge and act quickly 
to avoid an unnecessary Government shutdown which would undermine all 
of the critical efforts that will be discussed today.
    Thank you again to our witnesses.
                                 ______
                                 
                Statement of Honorable Michael T. Mccaul
                           September 28, 2023
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for convening this important hearing.
    The People's Republic of China is actively destabilizing the Indo-
Pacific region through its nefarious activities on the high seas. Its 
distance water fishing fleet operates without regard to national 
borders established and respected by international law and norms, and 
its illegitimate sovereignty claims in the South China Sea undermine 
free and open access by all nations to important trade routes located 
in international waters.
    The U.S. Coast Guard plays a vital role in not only deterring the 
PRC from operating in United States exclusive economic zone but also in 
building partnerships with nations across the Indo-Pacific. Coast Guard 
personnel provide needed training to other nations from everything to 
fisheries protection and EEZ enforcement to port security and search 
and rescue (SAR) capabilities. The Department of State is crucial in 
facilitating these bi- or multilateral agreements that allow the Coast 
Guard to utilize its assets and personnel to advance U.S. interests in 
the region at a level below the threshold of armed conflict. While the 
presence of U.S. Navy ships might appear threatening not only to the 
PRC but also to several other countries in the region, the presence of 
the U.S. Coast Guard communicates the United States' commitment to 
upholding international law and the sovereignty of individual States.
    I regret that I was unable to attend the hearing today, but I am 
grateful for the work that my colleagues are doing on this critical 
topic.

    Chairman Gimenez. Again, I am pleased to have a 
distinguished panel of witnesses before us today on this 
critical topic. I ask that our witnesses please rise and raise 
their right hands.
    [Witnesses sworn.]
    Chairman Gimenez. Let the record reflect that the witnesses 
have answered in the affirmative. Thank you, and please be 
seated.
    Like to formally introduce our witnesses.
    Vice Admiral Andrew Tiongson--sorry--serves as the 
operational commander for the United States Coast Guard Pacific 
area, Brigadier General Neil Richardson serves as the deputy 
director for strategic planning and policy for the United 
States Indo-Pacific Command, and Ms. Camille Dawson serves as 
the State Department's deputy assistant secretary for the 
Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
    I thank each of our distinguished guests for being here 
today.
    I now recognize Vice Admiral Tiongson for 5 minutes to 
summarize his opening statements.

 STATEMENT OF VICE ADMIRAL ANDREW J. TIONGSON, USCG COMMANDER, 
            PACIFIC AREA, UNITED STATES COAST GUARD

    Admiral Tiongson. Good morning, Chairman Gimenez, Ranking 
Member Thanedar, and Members of the committee. I am honored to 
appear here before you today to discuss the United States Coast 
Guard's work to advance the United States strategy for the 
Indo-Pacific region as a trusted partner.
    First, I want to thank you for your strong support of the 
Coast Guard, a key component of the Department of Homeland 
Security. Continued Congressional support enables our service 
to protect the homeland, save lives, preserve the 
sustainability of our oceans, and strengthen regional and 
national stability to combat transnational maritime threats.
    My written testimony has been provided to the committee, 
and I ask that it be entered into the record.
    Chairman Gimenez. So ordered.
    Admiral Tiongson. Mr. Chairman and Members of the 
committee, the Coast Guard operates on all 7 continents and 
throughout the homeland. Our work force embodies our distinct 
value proposition, maritime governance. We protect, defend, and 
save those who live and work on the sea, we protect the sea 
itself, and we support the rule of law. The Coast Guard serves 
a Nation whose economic prosperity and national security rely 
on free and open oceans.
    The Coast Guard's Pacific area encompasses 74 million 
square miles of ocean, more than half of the world's 
population, and 77 countries. Within this area are 3 of the 5 
largest global economies, through which nearly $4 trillion in 
annual maritime commerce flow. This area includes 8 of the 10 
largest U.S. trading partners, 7 of the world's 10 largest 
militaries, and 80 percent of the United States exclusive 
economic zone.
    Regional partners are challenged by malign activities on 
the sea. Impacts to vital fish stocks from illegal, unreported, 
and unregulated fishing threaten world-wide protein security, 
an existential threat to many Pacific Island nations. Threats 
to global supply chains and infrastructure pose a risk to 
trillions of dollars in economic activity, while these same 
risks pose the potential to disrupt prosperity, stability, and 
freedom of navigation. Natural disasters exacerbated by a 
changing climate and rising sea levels also threaten fragile 
economies and ecosystems.
    This complex maritime environment requires governance by, 
with, and through trusted partnerships that enable 
prioritization of limited resources and sustained multilateral 
efforts to counter the most critical threats and challenges. 
The Coast Guard supports partner nations in developing legal 
frameworks and capacity to protect their sovereign rights. We 
model good governance through our operational approach. We must 
always see threats and challenges through our partners' eyes 
and strive to meet them where they are with what they need. Our 
highly visible white ships with orange racing stripes allow us 
to demonstrate maritime governance wherever we go.
    In the last year alone, the Coast Guard participated in 
exercises with our partners across the Indo-Pacific, deployed 
advisors during the motor vessel Princess Empress, large-scale 
oil spill response, and regularly provided search and rescue, 
technical assistance, and security and law enforcement training 
to partner nations.
    Our efforts to uphold and build sound maritime governance 
in the Indo-Pacific focuses on countering malign activities. 
These activities erode the customary balance between coastal 
State rights, freedom of navigation, and lawful use of the high 
seas. We aim to bolster the capacity of like-minded nations to 
do the same and reinforce our position as a trusted partner.
    Again, thank you for Congress' continued support and for 
the opportunity to appear before you today.
    I look forward to your questions.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. Tiongson follows:]
                Prepared Statement of Andrew J. Tiongson
                           September 28, 2023
                              introduction
    Good afternoon, Chairman Gimenez and distinguished Members of the 
subcommittee. It is my pleasure today to discuss the Coast Guard's 
efforts to promote a free, open, and resilient Indo-Pacific in support 
of the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States. At all times a 
branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, a Federal law enforcement agency, a 
regulatory body, a first responder, and a member of the U.S. 
intelligence community, the Coast Guard operates on all 7 continents 
and throughout the homeland, serving a Nation whose national security 
and economic prosperity are inextricably linked to the sea.
    The United States has direct strategic interests in the Indo-
Pacific comprising 1.3 million square miles, which is 28 percent of the 
4.5 million square miles of ocean that is the U.S. Exclusive Economic 
Zone (EEZ). The Coast Guard safeguards this EEZ, protects and defends 
more than 100,000 miles of U.S. coastline and inland waterways, and 
saves thousands of lives per year. The Coast Guard is working to answer 
an increased demand for Indo-Pacific engagement within available 
resources, balancing numerous dynamic maritime risks facing our Nation.
    Around the globe, the Coast Guard is in high demand as an 
instrument of international diplomacy, recognized as the U.S. maritime 
service with the most relatable mission profile to many nations' 
maritime forces. Partner nations often structure and model their 
actions after the U.S. Coast Guard to help address the universal 
challenges posed by transnational crime, human smuggling, maritime 
safety and security, environmental stewardship, illegal, unreported, 
and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and provocations in their waters under 
their jurisdiction from fleets flying foreign flags.
    The Coast Guard's strategic vision for the Indo-Pacific is to build 
a more free, open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient Indo-
Pacific with unrestricted, lawful access to the maritime domain for all 
nations, advancing the existing rules-based international order and 
solidifying the United States as a trusted partner for maritime safety, 
security, and prosperity in the region. To effectively achieve this 
vision, the Coast Guard works closely with U.S. interagency partners to 
provide capacity building and we also work to ensure our deployments 
are planned strategically.
    The U.S. Coast Guard supports national strategic guidance with our 
operations, activities, and investments by synchronizing efforts across 
the interagency, and with allies and partners. We prioritize operations 
through three Lines of Effort (LOE): Prepare a Ready Force; Generate 
Combined Effects; and Uphold Governance. This vision, and all of the 
Coast Guard's actions in the region, directly align with the 
administration's five objectives in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy:
    1. Advance A Free and Open Indo-Pacific;
    2. Build Connections Within and Beyond the Region;
    3. Drive Regional Prosperity;
    4. Bolster Indo-Pacific Security; and
    5. Build Regional Resilience to Transnational Threats.
    The Coast Guard has operated in the Indo-Pacific for more than 150 
years, and the Service is increasing efforts through targeted patrols 
with our National Security and Fast Response Cutters in support of 
Coast Guard missions and to enhance our partnerships. With a modest 
regional Coast Guard footprint, the Service partners with the 
Department of State (DOS) and the Department of Defense (DoD) to engage 
partners. Across Oceania, we actively leverage our 12 bilateral law 
enforcement agreements with Pacific Island countries to assist our 
partners in enforcing their respective domestic sovereign rights, 
building strong maritime governance regimes, and forming a unified 
front against malign activity.
                  coast guard indo-pacific engagement
    The Coast Guard maintains a permanent and expeditionary global 
footprint to execute its 11 statutory missions. U.S. Coast Guard 
operations with partners and allies protect national interests by 
expanding operations beyond the U.S. EEZ, enhancing partner nation 
capability, and disrupting and deterring threats further from our 
shores.
    In the Indo-Pacific, Coast Guard operations focus on issues that 
directly confront local populations. This includes strengthening 
maritime governance and solving problems that protect people's 
livelihoods through protection of fish stocks, ensuring the safety of 
life at sea, preparing for climate-induced natural disasters, marine 
environmental protection, and protecting routine transportation and 
commerce against mishap and malicious activity.
    Operations At Sea.--In fiscal year 2022, multiple Coast Guard 
National Security Cutters participated in multi-national initiatives, 
including Operations BLUE PACIFIC and NORTH PACIFIC GUARD. The 
deployments supported the U.S. SEVENTH Fleet during U.S. Navy-led 
Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training, Rim of the Pacific, and 
Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training exercises. National Security 
Cutters supported the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) 
targeting IUU fishing in Oceania. Finally, Coast Guard deployable 
specialized forces embarked on U.S. Navy vessels operating in the 
Western and Central Pacific in support of IUU fishing enforcement under 
the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative.
    Defense Readiness.--The Coast Guard has served in every major armed 
conflict involving the United States since 1790. Around the world, on 
any given day, Coast Guard members are deployed in direct support of 
geographic Combatant Commander priorities. In the Indo-Pacific theater, 
Coast Guard capabilities and authorities are leveraged to advance 
important strategic national security objectives.
    National Security Cutter deployments support the U.S. Indo-Pacific 
Command (USINDOPACOM) and provide opportunities to engage partner 
nations. The Coast Guard also supports USINDOPACOM with small adaptive 
force packages and professional engagements in Oceania. The Service 
remains committed to interoperability with our DoD partners and is 
always ready to fulfill a complementary role during conflict or 
contingency operations as a part of the Joint Force. Whether we are 
supporting military mobility through our management of the marine 
transportation system or operating jointly with other services and 
combatant commanders, the Coast Guard remains Semper Paratus (Always 
Ready) to protect and serve whenever our Nation calls.
    Cooperation.--The Coast Guard's network of more than 60 multi- and 
bi-lateral agreements and participation in international fora are 
unique among government agencies and military forces. The bilateral 
agreements authorize personnel with enforcement authority from the 
partner nation to embark Coast Guard cutters and conduct combined law 
enforcement operations inside the partner nation's EEZ.
    Operations pursuant to these agreements, combined with activities 
within the U.S. EEZ surrounding American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern 
Marianas, expand opportunities that bolster a rules-based order to 
address challenges ranging from fisheries enforcement and counter 
narcotics, and support joint contingency plans for disaster and 
pollution response. These partnerships are vital to America's ability 
to secure our EEZ and our success in the broader context of 
geostrategic competition.
    The Coast Guard's law enforcement, regulatory, and humanitarian 
missions promote professional service-to-service relationships and 
enhanced cooperation on maritime, economic, and national security 
challenges. In this context, the Coast Guard works through the security 
cooperation, Security Assistance, and capacity-building programs in DoD 
and DOS to provide bilateral and multilateral training to partners, 
including hosting resident training, deploying Mobile Training Teams 
(MTTs), and exchanging subject-matter experts (SMEs). Since 2009, the 
Coast Guard has hosted more than 900 students from the Indo-Pacific 
region and conducted more than 200 MTT deployments and SME exchanges 
with 78 course offerings ranging from maritime law enforcement to 
international leadership and management.
    The Coast Guard works with the Pacific Island countries to assess 
their needs and develop strategies to improve their capabilities; for 
one nation this may mean advanced law enforcement training, and for 
another this may include disaster response training to build climate 
change resiliency. Beyond building capacity through a consistent 
training presence, these efforts demonstrate commitment to the region 
and promote the United States as a trusted partner. Additionally, these 
engagements enable long-term relationships as foreign military students 
continue interacting with Coast Guard personnel as they advance in 
their respective organizations.
    Advancing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.--Building and reinforcing 
partnerships, the Coast Guard provides specialized operational 
capabilities in support of national security objectives in the Indo-
Pacific. The Coast Guard employs a unique blend of diplomatic, 
military, economic, and law enforcement tools. By setting and enforcing 
standards of behavior in the maritime domain, the Coast Guard 
represents rules-based order and provides options for like-minded 
nations to counter malign actors.
    As part of a whole-of-Government approach to addressing challenges 
in Oceania and the broader Indo-Pacific region, the Coast Guard offers 
transparent, persistent engagement and partnership at both professional 
and personal levels. The Coast Guard is expanding our engagement in the 
Indo-Pacific by establishing additional long-term presence as attaches, 
liaisons, and advisors to strengthen regional and partner engagement, 
working to build the capacity of the coast guards and maritime law 
enforcement agencies in the region in coordination with DoD and DOS, 
creating a multi- and mini-lateral friendly and encouraging 
environment. We are also working closely with like-minded partners to 
coordinate capacity-building efforts and expand information sharing in 
the region.
    Beyond regular multi-mission patrols across the Indo-Pacific by our 
National Security Cutters, the Coast Guard is demonstrating our 
enduring commitment to the region by homeporting 3 of our newest Fast 
Response Cutters (FRC) in Guam and is relocating a major cutter to the 
region in fiscal year 2024 with the specific missions of promoting 
maritime governance, establishing persistent U.S. presence, and 
conducting meaningful engagements. These cutters increase Coast Guard 
operational presence throughout the vast Indo-Pacific region and help 
to protect our EEZ from threats of IUU fishing and transnational crime.
    In the fiscal year 2024 Unfunded Priority List, the Coast Guard 
also requested $400 million for 4 FRCs to further the Indo-Pacific 
Strategy of the United States through expanded presence and engagement 
to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. Additional FRCs would begin to 
transform the Coast Guard from an organization which currently provides 
episodic presence, to be persistent and visible, strengthening 
coordination with Allied and partner nations to bolster regional 
security.
                               conclusion
    The Coast Guard has operated in the Indo-Pacific with our key 
partners for more than 150 years and is proud to be considered a 
trusted partner in maritime security, safety, and stewardship. 
Partnership with relevant U.S. Government agencies and like-minded 
partners is critical to the Coast Guard's continued capacity-building 
efforts and regional presence. Through international engagement, 
partnership, and presence, the Coast Guard can bridge gaps between the 
DOS diplomacy and DoD force. The Service is well-positioned to operate 
in this region, while continuing its other critical missions.
    The Coast Guard recognizes this consequential new period of 
American foreign policy requires additional Coast Guard presence in the 
Indo-Pacific. U.S. interests in the region have become ever clearer, 
just as they have become more difficult to protect. The Coast Guard has 
a valuable role to conduct persistent and effective operations to 
uphold rules-based maritime governance. The Coast Guard anticipates an 
increasingly dynamic future and stands ready to increase cooperation, 
promote order, and deter conflict.

    Chairman Gimenez. Thank you, Vice Admiral Tiongson.
    I now recognize Brigadier General Richardson for 5 minutes 
to summarize his opening statement.

STATEMENT OF BRIGADIER GENERAL NEIL R. RICHARDSON, USAF DEPUTY 
DIRECTOR FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING AND POLICY, UNITED STATES INDO-
             PACIFIC COMMAND, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

    General Richardson. Chairman Gimenez, Ranking Member 
Thanedar, and distinguished Members of the committee, thank you 
for the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the 
U.S. Coast Guard's critical role in support of the INDOPACOM 
mission. on behalf of Admiral Aqualino, I'd like to thank you 
for your continuous support to the men and women of U.S. 
INDOPACOM and their families. Your support is instrumental to 
our ability to accomplish our missions every day.
    The Indo-Pacific is the most consequential region in the 
world, encompassing more than half the world's population, the 
busiest maritime trade routes, and key allies and partners. It 
is also the epicenter for great power competition with the 
People's Republic of China. Ensuring stability and security in 
the Indo-Pacific is not only vital for maintaining a regional 
peace, but also for global commerce and safeguarding American 
interest.
    The U.S. Coast Guard and INDOPACOM work together every day 
to prevent conflict in this region. INDOPACOM is dedicated to 
preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific where nations can 
thrive economically and maintain their sovereignty without 
external coercion. Foundational to our approach is a campaign 
of integrated deterrence in which we use our military tools in 
concert with all instruments of national power to convince 
potential aggressors that they cannot achieve their objectives 
through force. U.S. forces must be postured and operating in 
the right places with the right capabilities at the right time 
and executing the right missions alongside the like-minded 
allies and partners to deliver integrated deterrence and, if 
deterrence fails, prevail in conflict.
    The Indo-Pacific region has many nations with military that 
performs Coast Guard duties or law enforcement agencies in 
place of militaries. The U.S. Coast Guard's dual role as both a 
law enforcement agency and a military service makes it an ideal 
tool for capacity building and outreach to these nations. The 
Coast Guard's collaboration with these allies and partners in 
the Indo-Pacific fosters regional cooperation and strengthens 
the U.S. network of like-minded nations.
    The U.S. Coast Guard's versatility, as well as unique 
capabilities and authorities, make it well-suited to address a 
wide range of challenges in the region, many of which are high 
priorities to our allies and partners, including maritime 
security, law enforcement, and environmental protection in 
support of the INDOPACOM mission. Simply put, the Coast Guard 
is frequently the right force in the right place at the right 
time with the right capabilities. I have seen first-hand the 
utility of the Coast Guard during a recent visit to Oceania, 
where our partners expressed an insatiable appetite for 
increased presence, activities, and training with the U.S. 
Coast Guard.
    As you know, presence matters, and the Coast Guard's 
presence in the Indo-Pacific sends a strong message that the 
United States is committed to upholding the rules-based 
international order. Illegal, unreported, and unregulated, or 
IUU fishing, is a major threat to marine sources and the 
economies of many of our partners in the Indo-Pacific. The 
Coast Guard works closely with our allies and partners to 
combat IUU fishing through surveillance, enforcement, and 
building partner capacity. This allows the Coast Guard to help 
enforce and maintain international law and support partner 
nation sovereignty. This is especially critical in the Indo-
Pacific, where many distant water fishing fleets are common and 
the Pacific Island countries often lack the capacity to detect 
and interdict these vessels on their own.
    Similarly, bilateral law enforcement agreements allow for 
the exchange of shipriders between the United States and 
partner nations, permitting partner law enforcement personnel 
to embark on Coast Guard vessels and aircraft to enforce their 
laws, and vice versa. These agreements allow the Coast Guard to 
work more effectively with partners in the region to enforce 
applicable national laws, combat illegal activity on the high 
seas and in the waters under the jurisdiction of our partners, 
and build maritime law enforcement capacity in those partner 
nations.
    Additionally, the Coast Guard's capabilities and 
responsibility for environmental protection and disaster 
response aligns with ally and partner priorities. Many allies 
and partners in the region consider climate change to be the 
single greatest threat to their livelihoods, security, and 
well-being. By enforcing environmental regulations and 
responding to pollution incidences and natural disasters, the 
Coast Guard helps to preserve the delicate marine ecosystem of 
many Indo-Pacific nations and contributes to the sustainable 
development of the region, which is essential to long-term 
stability.
    A whole-of-Government approach is essential to succeed in 
the Indo-Pacific strategy and in our competition with the PRC. 
The Coast Guard's contributions to INDOPACOM are an integral 
part of this effort. Its versatility, cooperative relationship 
with allies and partners, and ability to promote maritime 
security and the rules-based order make it an invaluable asset 
in the region. INDOPACOM supports strong and robust funding and 
resourcing for the Coast Guard to ensure it can continue and, 
where possible, grow its valuable contributions to peace and 
security throughout the region.
    Finally, as we navigate the complex challenges of the Indo-
Pacific, let us not forget the steadfast service of the Coast 
Guard personnel who work to ensure that the seas remain safe, 
secure, and open for all. Their dedication is a testament to 
the United States' enduring commitment to a prosperous and 
peaceful Indo-Pacific for generations to come.
    Sir, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you 
today, and I look forward to your questions.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. Richardson follows:]
                Prepared Statement of Neil R. Richardson
                           28 September 2023
    Chairman Gimenez, Ranking Member Thanedar, and distinguished 
Members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear 
before you today to discuss the U.S. Coast Guard's critical role in 
support of the INDOPACOM mission. On behalf of Admiral Aquilino, I 
would like to thank you for your continuous support to the men and 
women of INDOPACOM and their families. Your support is instrumental to 
our ability to accomplish our missions every day.
    The Indo-Pacific is the most consequential region of the world, 
encompassing more than half the world's population, the busiest 
maritime trade routes, and key allies and partners. It is also the 
epicenter for great power competition with the People's Republic of 
China (PRC). Ensuring stability and security in the Indo-Pacific is not 
only vital for maintaining regional peace but also for global commerce 
and safeguarding American interests. The U.S. Coast Guard and INDOPACOM 
work together every day to prevent conflict in this region.
    INDOPACOM is dedicated to preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific, 
where nations can thrive economically and maintain their sovereignty 
without external coercion. Foundational to our approach is a campaign 
of integrated deterrence, in which we use our military tools in concert 
with all instruments of national power to convince potential aggressors 
that they cannot achieve their objectives through force. U.S. forces 
must be postured and operating in the right places, with the right 
capabilities, at the right times, and executing the right missions 
alongside like-minded allies and partners to deliver integrated 
deterrence, and, if deterrence fails, prevail in conflict.
    The Indo-Pacific region has many nations with a military that 
performs Coast Guard duties or law enforcement agencies in place of 
militaries. The U.S. Coast Guard's dual role as both a law enforcement 
agency and a military service makes it an ideal tool for capacity 
building and outreach to these nations. The Coast Guard's collaboration 
with these allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific fosters regional 
cooperation and strengthens the U.S. network of like-minded nations.
    The U.S. Coast Guard's versatility, as well as unique capabilities 
and authorities, make it well-suited to address a wide range of 
challenges in the region, many of which are high priorities to our 
allies and partners--including maritime security, law enforcement, and 
environmental protection--in support of the INDOPACOM mission. Simply 
put, the Coast Guard is frequently the right force, in the right place, 
at the right time, with the right capabilities. I have seen first-hand 
the utility of the Coast Guard during a recent visit to Oceania where 
our partners expressed an insatiable appetite for increased presence, 
activities, and training with the U.S. Coast Guard.
    As you know, presence matters and the Coast Guard's presence in the 
Indo-Pacific sends a strong message that the United States is committed 
to upholding the rules-based international order. Illegal, unreported, 
and unregulated or IUU fishing is a major threat to marine resources 
and the economies of many of our partners in the Indo-Pacific. The 
Coast Guard works closely with our allies and partners to combat IUU 
fishing through surveillance, enforcement, and building partner 
capacity. This allows the Coast Guard to help enforce and maintain 
international law and support partner nation sovereignty. This is 
especially critical in the Indo-Pacific, where many distant water 
fishing fleets are common and the Pacific Island Countries often lack 
the capacity to detect and interdict these vessels on their own.
    Similarly, bilateral law enforcement agreements allow for the 
exchange of ship riders between the United States and partner nations, 
permitting partner law enforcement personnel to embark on Coast Guard 
vessels and aircraft to enforce their laws, and vice versa. These 
agreements allow the Coast Guard to work more effectively with partners 
in the region to enforce applicable national laws, combat illegal 
activity on the high seas and in waters under the jurisdiction of our 
partners, and build maritime law enforcement capacity in those partner 
nations.
    Additionally, the Coast Guard's capabilities and responsibility for 
environmental protection and disaster response aligns with ally and 
partner priorities. Many allies and partners in the region consider 
climate change to be the single greatest threat to their livelihoods, 
security, and well-being. By enforcing environmental regulations and 
responding to pollution incidents and natural disasters, the Coast 
Guard helps to preserve the delicate marine ecosystems of many Indo-
Pacific nations and contributes to the sustainable development of the 
region, which is essential for long-term stability.
    A whole-of-Government strategy is essential to succeed in our Indo-
Pacific Strategy, and in our competition with the PRC. The Coast 
Guard's contributions to the INDOPACOM are an integral part of this 
effort. Its versatility, cooperative relationship with allies and 
partners, and ability to promote maritime security and the rules-based 
order make it an invaluable asset in the region. Indo-Pacific Command 
supports strong and robust funding and resourcing for the Coast Guard 
to ensure it can continue, and where possible grow, its valuable 
contributions to peace and security throughout the Indo-Pacific.
    Finally, as we navigate the complex challenges of the Indo-Pacific, 
let us not forget the steadfast service of the Coast Guard personnel 
who work to ensure that the seas remain safe, secure, and open for all. 
Their dedication is a testament to the United States' enduring 
commitment to a prosperous and peaceful Indo-Pacific for generations to 
come.
    Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today and I look 
forward to your questions.

    Chairman Gimenez. Thank you, General Richardson.
    I now recognize Ms. Dawson for 5 minutes to summarize her 
opening statements.

STATEMENT OF CAMILLE DAWSON, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY, BUREAU 
     OF EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF STATE

    Ms. Dawson. Chairman Gimenez, Ranking Member Thanedar, and 
Members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to 
appear before you today to testify on Department of State 
efforts to advance U.S. maritime security interest in the Indo-
Pacific.
    As we are all aware, the Indo-Pacific faces mounting 
challenges, particularly from the People's Republic of China. 
The PRC's coercion and provocations span the globe, but they 
are most acute in the Indo-Pacific, including in the maritime 
domain. We have seen a clear and upward trend of PRC 
provocations, most notably in the South China Sea, to include 
an assertive expansion of unlawful maritime claims and 
interference with freedoms of navigation and overflight. We are 
taking a range of measures to address these challenges.
    At the same time, our approach to the region is about much 
more than just one country. Our approach is driven by the Indo-
Pacific strategy, our shared affirmative vision for a region 
that is free and open and ever more connected, prosperous, 
secure, and resilient. We work through a whole-of-society and 
whole-of-Government approach in close coordination with our 
colleagues across the interagency, including the Coast Guard, 
INDOPACOM, and others in the Department of Defense, to advance 
that vision.
    The origin of the free and open Indo-Pacific as a concept 
is rooted in connecting two oceans and promoting a free and 
open maritime space. Protecting this critical maritime domain 
falls into three key lines of effort. No. 1, diplomacy to 
promote respect for international law and the rules-based 
order; No. 2, capacity-building programs for the region's 
maritime law enforcement agencies and militaries, and, No. 3, 
our operations to demonstrate that all countries can fly, sail, 
and operate anywhere that international law allows. Close 
cooperation with like-minded partners lies at the heart of our 
approach to the Indo-Pacific region because we recognize that 
no one country can meet the challenges alone. We work through 
multilateral architecture, such as ASEAN, the Pacific Islands 
Forum, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association, as well as newer 
flexible arrangements, such as the Quad, AUKUS, Partners in the 
Blue Pacific, trilateral cooperation with the Republic of Korea 
and Japan, and with the Philippines and Japan and the U.S.-E.U. 
Indo-Pacific Consultations.
    We have taken steps to advance our maritime security 
objectives through activities such as implementing the Indo-
Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, conducting 
the first-ever joint U.S.-E.U. naval exercise in March this 
year, and strengthening our diplomatic presence by opening 
additional embassies and expanding our staffing in the Pacific 
Islands. We have also used public diplomacy and legal diplomacy 
to advance maritime security goals. One example of this is 
State Department attorneys briefing governments, scholars, and 
thought leaders around the world using the Department of 
State's Limits in the Seas publication to counter the PRC's 
unlawful maritime claims in the South China Seas. Capacity 
building is also central to our efforts, both as a development 
tool and a way to build and maintain relationships, and we 
appreciate our strong collaboration with Congress on this 
priority.
    In fiscal year 2022, State's Bureau of Political Military 
Affairs provided $286 million in security assistance to the 
Indo-Pacific region, much of which had a maritime security 
focus. State and the Coast Guard also pursued bilateral 
maritime law enforcement agreements to counter illicit 
transnational maritime activities, including IUU fishing and 
the trafficking of humans, wildlife, arms, and drugs, including 
fentanyl. The most recent maritime law enforcement agreement in 
the region was with Papua New Guinea, which entered into force 
in August. These examples, though not exhaustive, highlight our 
approach to leverage our expertise, resources, and networks to 
advance a free and open Indo-Pacific region, promote U.S. 
maritime security interest, and deter PRC efforts to undermine 
the regional order for its own gain.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I look forward to answering 
questions and those of Members of the subcommittee.
    [The prepared statement of Ms. Dawson follows:]
                  Prepared Statement of Camille Dawson
                           September 28, 2023
    Chairman Gimenez, Ranking Member Thanedar, and Members of the 
subcommittee: Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today 
to testify on Department of State efforts to advance U.S. maritime 
security interests in the Indo-Pacific. We deeply appreciate this 
committee's leadership and support for policies that advance our 
maritime objectives.
    As you are all aware, the Indo-Pacific faces mounting challenges, 
particularly from the PRC. The PRC's coercion and aggression spans the 
globe, but it is most acute in the Indo-Pacific, including in the 
maritime domain. We have seen a clear and upward trend of PRC 
provocations, most notably in the South China Sea, to include an 
assertive expansion of unlawful maritime claims and interference with 
freedoms of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea.
    However, our approach to the region is about much more than just 
one country--it is a whole-of-society approach, driven by the Indo-
Pacific Strategy (IPS), our shared, affirmative vision for a region 
that is free and open and ever more connected, prosperous, secure, and 
resilient. We work in close coordination with our colleagues across the 
interagency, including with the Coast Guard and Department of Defense, 
to advance that vision.
    The origin of the free and open Indo-Pacific as a concept is rooted 
in connecting two oceans and promoting a free and open maritime space. 
Protecting this critical maritime domain falls into three key lines of 
effort: (1) Our diplomacy together with likeminded partners to promote 
respect for international law and the rules-based order, and the need 
for peaceful settlement of disputes; (2) maritime capacity-building 
programs for the region's maritime law enforcement agencies and 
militaries; and (3) our own operations, including Freedom of Navigation 
Operations and routine presence operations, to demonstrate that all 
countries have the right to fly, sail, and operate anywhere that 
international law allows.
    To advance the maritime security priorities of the IPS, the 
Department of State works closely with like-minded partners to keep the 
region open and accessible and ensure the region's seas and skies are 
governed and used according to international law. This close 
cooperation with allies and partners lies at the heart of our approach 
to the Indo-Pacific region because we recognize that no one country can 
meet the challenges alone. In particular, we build support for rules-
based approaches to the maritime domain, including in the South China 
Sea, the East China Sea, and the Taiwan Strait. Prominent examples of 
this approach include our work through existing regional multilateral 
architecture, such as ASEAN, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the Indian 
Ocean Rim Association, as well as newer, more flexible arrangements 
such as the Quad, AUKUS, Partners in the Blue Pacific, trilateral 
cooperation with the Republic of Korea and Japan, and the U.S.-EU Indo-
Pacific Consultations.
    The Quad works to ensure the Indo-Pacific remains free and open. 
Through the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness 
(IPMDA), the Quad is committed to supporting regional partners' efforts 
to improve their maritime domain awareness. This year, the Department 
of State also hosted the first-ever Quad Maritime Conference in 
Washington, DC.
    Our enhanced trilateral security partnership with Australia and the 
United Kingdom--AUKUS--supports Australia's acquisition of 
conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines at the earliest 
possible date. AUKUS also enhances our joint capabilities and 
interoperability through a concrete program of work on advanced 
capabilities, including cyber, artificial intelligence, quantum 
technologies, and additional undersea capabilities.
    Launched by the United States and like-minded partners in June 
2022, Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP) is rooted in our shared 
determination to support a prosperous, secure, resilient, free, and 
open region that benefits people in the Pacific. We advance a range of 
maritime initiatives under the PBP framework, which is forging ever-
closer partnerships with Pacific Island nations through activities such 
as the PBP workshop on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) 
fishing and maritime domain awareness that we hosted in Hawaii in 
January.
    At the Camp David Summit last month, U.S., ROK, and Japan leaders 
also agreed to establish a trilateral maritime mechanism to synchronize 
partner capacity building in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.
    Additional actions that advance U.S. maritime security interests 
include the first-ever joint U.S.-E.U. naval exercise, conducted this 
year through the U.S.-E.U. Indo-Pacific consultations; progress opening 
embassies in the Pacific that will strengthen our presence and 
partnerships; and public diplomacy programs to advance maritime 
security goals. In partnership with DOD, we launched a public 
engagement program in the Philippines to provide cameras to fisher folk 
to record IUU fishing. We also offered legal exchange programs and 
consultations around the region related to maritime law, where 
attorneys at the Department of State explain their publication ``Limits 
in the Seas No. 150'' and advise officials from the region how to 
counter the PRC's baseless claims in the South China Sea through 
appropriate legal fora. The Department of State also sponsored a 
maritime boundary workshop for ASEAN nations to enhance their legal 
capabilities and solve their disputes peacefully.
    Capacity building is central to our maritime security efforts in 
the Indo-Pacific, both as a development tool and a way to build and 
maintain relationships, and we appreciate our strong collaboration with 
Congress on this priority. We maintain robust security assistance 
intended to build maritime capacity and maritime domain awareness, and 
we see the need to expand this effort. Through our Bureau of 
International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, the Department of 
State funds nearly $20 million of Coast Guard capacity-building efforts 
to strengthen maritime governance while protecting the security of the 
American people. Similar programs extend to combating cyber threats in 
the maritime domain to help partner countries defend against cyber 
attacks on critical maritime infrastructure, such as ports and 
navigation systems. The Department of State's Bureau of Political-
Military Affairs Security Assistance Office provided $286 million in 
fiscal year 2022 security assistance to the Indo-Pacific region. 
Security assistance efforts in the region include building partner 
nation maritime security, maritime domain awareness, humanitarian 
assistance and disaster response, and military professionalization. 
This security assistance develops and enhances partner nation 
capabilities and advances a range of U.S. interests.
    Additionally, the Department of State and Coast Guard continue to 
pursue new bilateral maritime law enforcement agreements which cover a 
spectrum of illicit transnational maritime activities, including IUU 
fishing, drug and migrant smuggling, and illicit transport of weapons 
of mass destruction. These agreements enable the U.S. Government to 
engage with and support partners who are still building or expanding 
their capacity for maritime domain awareness or at-sea enforcement, and 
provides them the tools to do so. The most recent agreement with Papua 
New Guinea entered into force in August and was successfully utilized 
earlier this month during an historic joint operation with Papua New 
Guinea Defense Force shipriders and the Coast Guard Cutter Myrtle 
Hazard.
    Collaboration across the U.S. Government to advance maritime 
security in the Indo-Pacific enables us to demonstrate physical 
presence and commitment to meeting the needs of the region. This is 
powerful evidence that directly disproves the false narrative--
propounded by the PRC and others--that the United States is retreating 
from the region. Our presence and responsiveness to needs identified by 
countries in the region is particularly relevant in the Pacific 
Islands, where many of the countries lack sufficient law enforcement 
capabilities and do not have standing militaries. In such locations, 
our Coast Guard partners are indispensable, building trust and 
providing resources and training in a manner that cannot be replicated 
by any other U.S. agency.
    These examples, though not exhaustive, highlight our approach--in 
collaboration with the Coast Guard, DOD, others in the interagency, and 
counterparts throughout the region--to leverage our expertise, 
resources, and networks to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific region, 
promote U.S. maritime security interests, and deter PRC efforts to 
undermine the regional order for its own gain.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I look forward to answering your questions 
and those of other Members of the subcommittee.

    Chairman Gimenez. Thank you, Ms. Dawson.
    Members will be recognized in order of seniority for their 
5 minutes of questioning.
    I will go a little bit out of order and ask for consent to 
allow the gentleman from Louisiana, Mr. Higgins, to go first. 
He needs to go to another hearing.
    Mr. Higgins. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the 
indulgence.
    Gentlemen, ma'am, we will be moving quickly during my 5 
minutes of questioning here.
    Admiral Tiongson, General Richardson, and Secretary Dawson, 
some of my inquiries are directed at all of you, and I thank 
you for being here.
    Today we are focused on United States Coast Guard 
engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. Overall, I would like to 
address America's need for enhanced presence in the region in 
order to maintain the growing potentials for economic stability 
and growth and to hedge against the threat of military conflict 
and China's influence in the region.
    So as it relates to our discussion today, China is a key 
factor, and I think we all acknowledge that. This is the 
balance that we seek to invest American treasure effectively, 
efficiently, appropriately, in order to counter the growing 
threat of China, both militarily and through economic 
oppression or interference in the area. The United States Coast 
Guard has a very important role to play there, as does the Air 
Force and the United States Navy. So I would like to ask you 
all to give me your considered response regarding shipbuilding 
as it relates to your plan moving forward in the larger 
strategic considerations and planning for what the next decade 
looks like in the Indo-Pacific region.
    I have done a tremendous amount of work with your 
counterparts and colleagues in the United States Navy, both in 
uniform and in the civilian realm, ma'am, regarding 
shipbuilding and what the larger mission is in the Pacific. 
There is a growing concern about the U.S. Government stepping 
away from the long-established historical success of using 
smaller shipyards across the country, who have proven to be 
very responsive and efficient and flexible with regards to 
providing vessels for the United States Navy, United States 
Coast Guard in order to accomplish changing mission parameters, 
as opposed to doing business increasingly with large 
internationally-owned shipyards that sometimes even have direct 
ties to China, including partnerships with China. This is a 
concern for the U.S. Government to step away from a long, 
proven, and successful relationship with many smaller shipyards 
across the country to provide the vessels that we need and 
slide toward coordinating the construction of those vessels and 
funding the construction of those vessels with huge, massive 
international corporation shipyards that sometimes have heavy 
ties with China. This is a concern. We believe that American 
vessels should be built in American owned shipyards with 
American technology, American engineering, and American work 
force. I have shipyards in South Louisiana. Bollinger Shipyards 
has delivered its 180th vessel to the United States Coast Guard 
over 35-year period. That is another fast response cutter, I 
have a shipyard named Metal Shark. They have an international 
footprint, do a lot of business with the Government. They are 
building vessels for Bangladesh and Vietnam through the U.S. 
Government protocols and parameters and laws.
    So I would like all of you to please respond briefly to my 
concern and know that my office and my other colleagues stand 
with you to move forward with this vision.
    Admiral.
    Admiral Tiongson. We are very grateful for the 
administration and Congress support in our recapitalization 
efforts. As you know, we are in the middle of recapitalizing 
our fleets of vessels. We have national security cutters that 
have been supported throughout the administration and Congress. 
We have our two highest-priority acquisitions right now being 
supported, the Offshore Patrol Cutter and the Polar Security 
Cutter as well.
    Sir, as you mentioned, our fast response cutters are being 
built and coming out right now out of Louisiana. That's 
excellent support for our recapitalization efforts to put those 
ships throughout the world where our demand is, where there's 
demand for the Coast Guard.
    Mr. Higgins. I thank the Admiral for your answer.
    My time has expired. Mr. Chairman, perhaps the General and 
Ms. Dawson will be able to provide answers to my questions in 
writing after the hearing.
    Chairman Gimenez. The gentleman's time has expired.
    I now recognize the Ranking Member from Michigan, Mr. 
Thanedar.
    Mr. Thanedar. Thank you, Chairman Gimenez.
    Without immediate action, Government funding will run out 
on Saturday at 11:59 p.m. In recent years, Coast Guard members 
and other Government employees have suffered because of 
dysfunctional Republican spending fights.
    Admiral, how would a lapse in appropriations affect the 
Coast Guard's readiness in the Pacific area?
    Admiral Tiongson. Sir, first, our top priorities during a 
lapse in appropriation would be those missions that support 
national security and the safety of people, as well as 
property. What that means is accepted missions would include 
things like search and rescue, counter-drug mission, illegal 
migration operations, defense readiness. The operations that we 
are conducting within the Indo-Pacific fall under the defense 
readiness heading. So we will continue to do that.
    As you recalled, in 2019, the Coast Guard was not funded, 
we were not funded for 35 days. What that means in Indo-Pacific 
is if ships will be deployed and Coast Guard members will not 
be receiving paychecks, that will clearly have a morale issue 
on them, as well as impacts to their families and longer 
impacts in terms of recruiting and retention.
    Mr. Thanedar. Thank you.
    Ms. Dawson, what kind of effect does regular uncertainty 
about Government funding have on diplomatic relationships in 
the Pacific and across the globe?
    Ms. Dawson. Thank you for the question.
    So what I would say is that it directly impacts our ability 
to engage in critical, face-to-face diplomacy. Additionally, we 
know what the PRC narrative is about the United States, what 
they are trying to push in their public messaging, and that is 
that the United States is unstable and unreliable. A Government 
shutdown, unfortunately, reinforces the PRC's narrative in that 
regard.
    Mr. Thanedar. Thank you.
    As an Indian immigrant, given today's topic, I am also 
interested in the relationship the United States has with India 
when it comes to maritime security efforts.
    For all of the witnesses, what efforts do your agencies 
make to work with India to advance partnership and security in 
the maritime environment?
    Admiral Tiongson. I would describe the U.S. Coast Guard's 
relationship with India as a budding relationship. We work on 
international forward together. I would say the Quad. I would 
also reflect to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating 
Piracy and Armed Robbery, ReCAAP. We work with them there as 
well. We work with India in shipboard exchanges, we work with 
India in training and exercises for maritime law enforcement. 
In addition to that, I personally am going to be going to India 
here to strengthen our relationship within the next few months.
    Mr. Thanedar. Finally, the climate change. How does that--
climate change represents an existential threat across the 
Indo-Pacific, particularly for low-lying and small island 
nations.
    Admiral, what effect has the USCG seen from the changing 
climate in the region already? How are you prepared for 
worsening climate conditions in the future?
    Admiral Tiongson. We are definitely seeing types of 
catastrophic events caused by either climate change or sea-
level rise. So, for example, just recently, there was a drought 
in one of the Pacific Island nations of which we worked very 
closely with our State Department personnel or partners, as 
well as the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance and provided aid 
to that country. Additionally, what we do is we provide 
training and subject-matter expertise on how to deal with those 
types of disasters in humanitarian assistance and disaster 
response.
    Mr. Thanedar. Thank you so much.
    My time is up, so I yield back, Chairman.
    Chairman Gimenez. The gentleman's time is up.
    I would hope that my colleagues from across the aisle on 
the Democrat side will join the 98 percent of the Republicans 
who will vote for a continuing resolution at the end of this 
week so that we don't have a Government shutdown. We are in 
agreement. We don't need to have a Government shutdown. Let's 
see how many of the Democrats will vote for our continuing 
resolution.
    My questions are about the area of the Second Thomas Shoal. 
Admiral, do we patrol there? Do we have a presence there? I 
personally was there about a month ago and I saw the activity 
that is happening. I believe the ship that is called the Sierra 
Madre, that is on the Second Thomas shoal. Much to my chagrin, 
I saw a Chinese Coast Guard cutter there, and I saw a Chinese 
frigate. I think it was a frigate there. Do we have any 
presence in that area? Does the United States Coast Guard have 
a presence there? Then what are your activities there and what 
do you do there?
    Admiral Tiongson. We have an outstanding relationship with 
the Philippine Coast Guard. We do patrol in areas in and around 
the Philippines. All of that run and coordinated with our DoD 
friends from the Seventh Fleet.
    What we do with the Philippines is we prepare their force 
to go ahead and put forth their sovereignty and enforce their 
sovereignty. We do that through maritime law enforcement and 
security training. In fact, in the Philippines, that is our 
largest security assistance program that we have. Just a couple 
of weeks ago, or within the last couple of weeks, we opened up 
an entire training center for those types of efforts, as well 
as how to maintain their equipment and things of that nature.
    Our relationship is extremely strong, and I personally 
engage with the commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard to 
always ask, what else can we do for you to help you prepare to 
go out there and enforce your sovereignty?
    Chairman Gimenez. The Chinese have also built some man-made 
islands out there that, from what we saw, had radar sites, it 
looked like maybe even anti-aircraft sites, and they act as if 
somehow they own the place. Do we recognize that? Do we patrol 
those areas or do we make sure that shipping is allowed to 
progress through that area without being challenged by the PRC?
    Admiral Tiongson. Sir, we work with several nations in and 
about that region, all like-minded partners that are interested 
in maritime governance. Frankly, maritime governance is the key 
to what's going on here. We want to bolster our partners' 
capacity and capability to push forth their sovereign rights in 
all different facets. So if it's transiting their waters or if 
it's fisheries, the illegal, unreported, unregulated fisheries, 
we want to help them to do that to the best of our ability.
    Chairman Gimenez. Have you seen a rise in the intimidation 
by the PRC, by the CCP toward other nations in the area?
    Admiral Tiongson. We have certainly seen a rise in that 
type of aggression from actors like the China Coast Guard. We 
have worked again with our partners to how do you go about and 
push your sovereignty forward and defend yourself while that is 
happening?
    Chairman Gimenez. OK, very good.
    But again, do we have a presence there? I know you say you 
work with our partners, but does the United States Coast Guard 
actually have a presence there to show that we are undeterred 
by Chinese aggression, by Chinese intimidation, their claims, 
their illegal claims of sovereignty over some of these islands 
and the areas around them, their illegal claim to sovereignty 
over the Second Thomas Shoal? Do we have a presence there to 
say that, no, we do not recognize your claims to this, and we 
are here, and we are here to stay? Do we do that?
    Admiral Tiongson. Over the last year, we've actually had 
three of our national security cutters deploy into the region 
to work very closely through INDOPACOM and Seventh Fleet. Right 
now, we have a national security cutter in the region as we 
speak.
    The other way we get about in our regions is through fast 
response cutters, smaller vessels that work in the Oceania part 
of the Indo-Pacific. There are four additional fast response 
cutters that are on our unfunded----
    Chairman Gimenez. I have only got 25 seconds, I need to get 
this answered. What is the greatest existential threat in the 
area, is it climate change or is it the PRC?
    Admiral Tiongson. Talking to many of our partners, our 
partners' top things are climate change followed by fisheries.
    Chairman Gimenez. By fisheries, not the PRC?
    Admiral Tiongson. Followed fisheries and those malign 
actors that go ahead and steal their sovereign food and rights 
and those types of things. A lot caused by China.
    Chairman Gimenez. Is that your personal opinion too or is 
that your partners' personal opinion?
    Admiral Tiongson. That is what I have heard through talking 
to partners, so it's not personal.
    Chairman Gimenez. I am asking your personal opinion. I am 
asking your personal opinion. What is your personal opinion?
    Admiral Tiongson. Sir, my personal opinion is that it is 
about maritime governance and how that breaks down sovereignty 
of the various nations. What we're trying to do is help bolster 
that maritime governance.
    Chairman Gimenez. Fair enough.
    My time is up.
    I now recognize the gentlewoman from American Samoa, Ms. 
Radewagen. Radewagen.
    Ms. Radewagen. Radewagen.
    Chairman Gimenez. Yes, there we go.
    Ms. Radewagen. [Speaking Native language] and good morning. 
I want to thank Chairman Gimenez, Chairman Green Ranking Member 
Thanedar for inviting me to participate in today's hearing on 
the Coast Guard's role in the Pacific, my home district.
    The Coast Guard is one of the most important and effective 
tools in that the United States has encountering the PRC's 
malign influence in Pacific waters. In noting what General 
Richardson just said, I can say that everywhere I go in the 
Indo-Pacific their leaders tell me the two things they want 
most are Coast Guard and Peace Corps.
    But in fact, many Pacific Island leaders have asked me also 
about the shiprider program. But here we are, we arrive at the 
crux of the problem--resourcing. American Samoa is the only 
U.S. jurisdiction south of the equator and we are a gateway to 
the South Pacific with the best deepwater port within 2,500 
miles.
    Admiral Tiongson, thank you for all you do in the Pacific. 
Can you tell me how many cutters--you mentioned part of it 
earlier--how many cutters you have patrolling the South 
Pacific, including U.S. territorial waters and the compact 
EEZs?
    Admiral Tiongson. We have three fast response cutters that 
are stationed in Guam, a buoy tender that is stationed in Guam. 
These patrol routinely in the region, but it is episodic at 
best in the presence that they provide.
    Ms. Radewagen. Thank you. So it sounds like that is the 
only territorial waters where the Coast Guard has these 
vessels, Guam?
    Admiral Tiongson. They patrol throughout that entire region 
of Oceania. I am grateful for the support of Congress and the 
administration on what is called an Indo-Pacific support cutter 
that we will have this fall, this winter time frame. It will be 
stationed out of Hawaii. It will also patrol that area, 
providing subject-matter expert exchanges with the various 
nations as well as sometimes conducting illegal, unreported, 
unregulated fisheries enforcement.
    Ms. Radewagen. Thank you.
    As a follow-up, at present, do you have the ability to 
effectively counter IUU fishing in the South Pacific? I mean, I 
will be honest, Admiral, American Samoa needs a permanent Coast 
Guard presence to counter PRC IUU fishing. They have been in 
American Samoa's EEZ. OK. So what additional resources does the 
Coast Guard need to meet current operational requirements in 
District 14?
    Admiral Tiongson. I just mentioned that it's episodic type 
of presence. What we need to do to continue to be a trusted 
partner is improve our presence there. The fiscal year 2024 
budget has four fast response cutters on our unfunded 
priorities list. Those four FRCs will increase that presence 
and provide more of the IUU fishery enforcement that you were 
talking about.
    Ms. Radewagen. Thank you.
    Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
    Chairman Gimenez. The gentlewoman yields your time back.
    I recognize the gentleman from Guam, Mr. Moylan.
    Mr. Moylan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to the panel 
members for allowing me to waive in for this hearing.
    I appreciate the chance to hear from this distinguished 
witness panel have a chance to get to record the importancy of 
the presence of the U.S. Coast Guard in the South Pacific, 
whether it be for patrolling our waters, training allied Coast 
Guard detachments, or performing search-and-rescue operations, 
the Coast Guard's ability to act like a Swiss Army knife is 
essential to carrying out a wide variety of necessary mission 
across the blue continent.
    First question. General Richardson, Guam is 4,000 miles 
from Hawaii, 6,000 miles from California, and 8,000 miles from 
Washington, DC. One thing we discuss a lot on the islands is 
the tyranny of distance. I wonder, very briefly, you can 
elaborate on how that affects planning and logistics for all 
INDOPACOM operations.
    General Richardson. Thank you, sir, for the question.
    As you know, Guam and its 170,000 American citizens is 
essential to U.S. security, and we take that seriously. Guam is 
also critical for the staging and deploying of forces west of 
the international dateline and throughout the region to deliver 
combat credible and integrated deterrence. In Admiral 
Aquilino's seize-the-initiative approach, the idea is to pull 
assets and people, forces west of the international dateline to 
cut the transit time, to cut the response time to be able to 
support and defend in that area. With that, the logistics and 
the planning would also follow. So we do expect to see some 
decrease in that. But as you mentioned earlier, distance there, 
it's all water. So it's either naval or air assets that have to 
support that.
    Mr. Moylan. Thank you, General.
    Vice Admiral, if you were informed that the Coast Guard was 
going to receive increase in your budget, what additional 
resources do you feel would help you most specifically in the 
Pacific region then and in general, across your areas of 
responsibility? Briefly please.
    Admiral Tiongson. To briefly answer the questions, I 
mentioned, the unfunded priorities list that we have with four 
FRCs that are on that list. There is also one Maritime Patrol 
aircraft that's on that list. Those types of things, coupled 
with the potential of a second of these Indo-Pacific support 
cutters, would help increase our presence toward being a 
trusted partner.
    Mr. Moylan. Thank you.
    So basically, the six cutters are not enough to cover the 
nautical area equivalent to the size of the continental United 
States. All right, thank you.
    As a follow-up, as I said earlier in my question, Guam is 
4,000 miles away from Hawaii and I am an advocate for having 
decision makers as close to the ground as possible because only 
there can they get the holistic view necessary to do the job to 
the best of their ability.
    So, Vice Admiral, do you think that the Coast Guard's 
District 14 headquarters in Hawaii is close enough to Guam and 
the South Pacific Islands to ensure adequate distribution of 
resources?
    Admiral Tiongson. As you know, the D14 headquarters is 
there, but there is also a sector Guam and Patrol Forces 
Micronesia right there in Guam. With all of those things, I do 
believe it is enough to provide that support that's necessary. 
What we need is more assets like those FRCs to provide more 
persistent presence.
    Mr. Moylan. Thank you.
    Next question, Ms. Dawson. In recent years the State has 
neglected the Pacific Islands to the detriment of our 
relationship in the region. Currently there is no bureau for 
the Pacific Islands at State. Instead, they are under the East 
Asia Bureau which also handles China, Japan, as well as North 
and South Korea. The East Asian Bureau is clearly in dire need 
of restructuring.
    Why hasn't the Department of State organized a Bureau for 
the Pacific Islands and shown the region the focus necessary to 
ensure our relationships are properly maintained?
    Ms. Dawson. Thank you for the question.
    So the Bureau is actually the Bureau of East Asian and 
Pacific Affairs and we do have an office specifically focused 
on Oceania. Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands is 
the name of the office. We have a deputy assistant secretary 
with oversight of our work in the Pacific Islands.
    I would note that in just the past 2 years we have seen a 
huge increase in the attention and focus of the administration 
to the Pacific Islands. Just this week, the White House hosted 
a summit with the Pacific Islands Forum and we have, as I am 
sure you are all tracking, opened new embassies in the Pacific 
Islands, opened two new embassies this year----
    Mr. Moylan. Thank you, Ms. Dawson. I am sorry for our 
shortness of time. But basically let's not group the Pacific 
Islands along with China, Japan, North and South Korea. Let's 
have our own island, these groups together as one as we 
continue to do the work of the administration.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
    Chairman Gimenez. The gentleman yields back.
    We have time for a second round.
    I now recognize the Ranking Member from Michigan, Mr. 
Thanedar.
    Mr. Thanedar. Thank you, Chairman.
    The climate change represents the greatest existential 
threat to small Pacific Island nations facing rising sea levels 
and depleting fishing stock. The Coast Guard and its partners 
must be prepared for the security ramifications of a changing 
climate in the Indo-Pacific.
    My question to Ms. Dawson is how does climate change factor 
into the diplomatic work the United States is doing in the 
region? How will climate change continue to affect strategic 
competition in the Indo-Pacific in the future?
    Ms. Dawson. Thank you.
    So we start with conversations with partners and allies. 
That is really the heart of our diplomatic work. In those 
conversations, we ask countries, what are your greatest needs, 
how can we partner with you most effectively? Very frequently, 
it is about climate change. They are asking for solutions to 
address the challenges presented by climate change. So we are 
working through not only our bilateral relationships to provide 
assistance where feasible, but also through multilateral 
engagements, including the Quad and other arrangements.
    So we ask countries to identify their most pressing needs 
and then collectively, with like-minded countries, we are 
seeking to find the ways that we can most effectively address 
those needs and bring the required resources to bear.
    Mr. Thanedar. All right, thank you, Ms. Dawson.
    Mr. Chair, I yield back.
    Chairman Gimenez. The gentleman yields back.
    I now recognize myself for another 5 minutes.
    Now, I don't know who will answer this. The fishing stocks 
there in the Pacific, not only there in the South Pacific, but 
also in the Eastern Pacific. I know that is maybe outside of 
your realm, but tell me about the problem of fishing and 
illegal fishing and who is conducting it and how much of the 
fish stock is being depleted because of the activity of illegal 
fishing and the fishing fleets around the Pacific. If you have 
any estimation, and I don't know who can answer that. Probably 
you, Vice Admiral. If you could do that for me, I appreciate 
it.
    Admiral Tiongson. Sir, you mentioned the Eastern Pacific 
and fishery stocks. As we speak, I have two cutters that are in 
the Eastern Pacific right now conducting IUU fisheries, high 
seas boardings, and inspections. We do it underneath the 
auspices of the Regional Fisheries Management Organization. 
This particular one is a South Pacific one. We are conducting 
those operations. That fleet is usually around anywhere from 
350 to 600 fishing vessels. They are vessels that are Chinese 
vessels, and they bring all kinds of problem sets into that 
region.
    First, they're fishing in the waters--Ecuador's and taking 
away and displacing Ecuador's fishermen from that. Those 
fishermen have to find other types of livelihoods. They usually 
are associated with things like forced labor and human 
smuggling. They could also be associated with environmental 
causes. A lot of their trash and wear that's on those ships 
just gets tossed right into the oceans, wrecking our pristine 
areas throughout the world. There's a lot with IUU fishing. We 
are enforcing those as we speak in the EastPac, as you 
mentioned. That is within my AOR.
    Chairman Gimenez. Would you characterize the Chinese 
fishing fleets in the Eastern Pacific, and probably all around 
the Pacific, as having a devastating effect on fish stocks in 
the Pacific?
    Admiral Tiongson. Throughout the Pacific, I would say 
throughout the world.
    Chairman Gimenez. Throughout the world. Because what do 
they do? They don't care about quotas, they don't care about 
the numbers, they just fish. I guess, look, the problem with 
the CCP and the PRC is that they are food-dependent. They need 
30 percent, they are 30 percent short on food independence. So 
they go around the world--and fish is one of the staple foods, 
so they go around the world and they fish. But the way they do 
it, do you think that it is reckless? Do you think that it 
poses a threat to world fisheries around the world?
    Admiral Tiongson. Absolutely. It is depleting fishery 
stocks. It is robbing sovereign nations of their economies as 
well as their protein source. This is a problem of which the 
United States Coast Guard, through our illegal unreported, 
unregulated fishery strategy, I say we're going to try to take 
the lead of this and work our way with many other interagency 
players and partner nations to get after this.
    Chairman Gimenez. Now, somebody said something about 
climate change and fisheries. What is causing a more 
devastating effect, climate change or human activity?
    Admiral Tiongson. I'm certainly not an expert on all of 
those sciences. What I can mention is that some places, even in 
and around the United States, say up in the Alaska region, what 
we see is fishery stocks moving further north for colder water.
    Chairman Gimenez. Interesting. OK.
    That is all I have for now.
    I now recognize the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Pfluger, for 
5 minutes.
    Mr. Pfluger. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the 
ability to waive on a very important topic. Thank the witnesses 
for being here for your service.
    This hearing, it really couldn't be more timely. The Indo-
Pacific region, obviously valuable to our national security. In 
a time of increased aggression from adversaries like the 
Chinese Communist Party, as well as the Putin's regime, the 
United States must be patient in our advances and maintain our 
ability to project all different types of instruments of power. 
Additionally, the U.S. Coast Guard recently announced that they 
will increase the number of maritime patrols and training 
operations in the Indo-Pacific, which I believe is good.
    Since the shift from countering violent extremism in our 
national security and national defense strategies to more of a 
great power competition, Russia has used private military 
companies to illegally seize territories, the PRC is employing 
coercive economic practices through their Belt and Road 
initiative. We see this playing out all throughout the world, 
not just in the Indo-Pacific, but I think the epicenter of it 
is in the Indo-Pacific.
    I just happened to spend a large amount of time in my 
career in the Indo-Pacific at Kadena Air Base and had a front 
row seat early in the stages of this desire to not just be a 
regional hegemon, but also to have a more global impact, which 
I think that they are rightly doing.
    General Richardson, I want to start with you. In your 
testimony you say it is going to take a whole-of-Government 
approach and in addition to what the maritime strategy is, in 
addition to what air power is doing. Talk to me about what that 
whole-of-Government approach looks like. Notably, where are we 
falling short on that whole-of-Government approach?
    General Richardson. Thank you, sir, and appreciate the 
question.
    The whole-of-Government approach, as has been mentioned in 
this forum so far, really, it starts with diplomacy. As we work 
through the diplomacy, then we can use the other instruments of 
national power as well, which is where the Coast Guard, as a 
valuable partner, comes into that discussion. This is mostly in 
the Micronesia Oceania area that I'll refer to here initially 
because of those small nations and their inability to create a 
navy, an army, an air force. In many cases, most of those don't 
have air forces. Their navies more represent the Coast Guard. 
So they're a key player in that. From the DoD perspective, we 
need to have a persistent presence in the area at all times. 
So, again, going back to Admiral Aquilino's seize the 
initiative approach, pulling assets and personnel west of the 
international dateline to create that persistent presence 
through exercises and operations is key to what we do to 
counter the malignant influence of the PRC.
    Mr. Pfluger. We recently sent a letter from a caucus that 
we have called the Mach 1 Caucus, about the concerns of having 
a lack of air power at Kadena Air Base in particular, a place 
that I am familiar with. Can you update me on the permanent 
presence of a fighter presence there at Kadena to have what you 
just mentioned, which is presence?
    General Richardson. Yes, sir. It is my understanding that 
we still have probably the same that you saw when you were 
there. I believe it's about 48 of the F15s and a number of 
KC135s in the area.
    Mr. Pfluger. So is there a plan to pull those F15s out, as 
was mentioned in the fiscal 2022 budget request from DoD?
    General Richardson. Sir, I believe that the Air Force does 
have some plans to rebuild the force from those terms, but I 
can't speak specifically to what the number will be into the 
future.
    Mr. Pfluger. I am sorry to keep on with you here. In your 
testimony you mentioned that many of our partners and allies 
see climate change as the No. 1 existential threat. Is that a 
view that is shared by the DoD?
    General Richardson. Sir, just exactly what I said. When we 
speak to the nations themselves, they share that as one of 
their No. 1 security threats. From the DoD perspective, we are 
focused on all of the threats, but primarily we're still 
focused on the PRC as our pacing threat, and we'll continue to 
go after that.
    Mr. Pfluger. I hope that we will stay focused on the PRC. 
If you are Xi Jinping and you are looking at the 
vulnerabilities that we have right now, and I appreciate the 
presence that you guys bring to this region, you are looking 
for signs of weakness. I think that we don't have to get into 
the discussion of my own personal views of the weakness that we 
have displayed over the last couple of years, but you guys are 
standing in the gap. The Coast Guard, the Blue Water Navy, the 
Air Force, the Air power, the triad that we have to hold these 
threats accountable and to deter, we are in a very tough time 
right now. I don't have to tell you that, this is your 
profession. I am very worried about this region and I hope that 
any discussion of climate change or things that would distract 
us away from what the PRC intends to do, which is to reunify 
Taiwan with China, and that is a stated goal of Xi Jinping, I 
hope that we will focus on that and focus on the threat and 
keep our heads down to deter so that we don't get into a bad 
situation.
    With that, Mr. Chairman, thank you for allowing me to go a 
little bit over time.
    I yield back.
    Chairman Gimenez. The gentleman yields back.
    Ms. Radewagen, do you want another round of questions?
    Ms. Radewagen. Yes, Mr. Chairman.
    Chairman Gimenez. OK. I recognize the gentlelady from the 
American Samoa.
    Ms. Radewagen. So, Admiral Tiongson, what types and numbers 
of cutters would be needed to prevent a large fishing fleet of 
like the 300 fishing ships seen in the waters around the 
Galapagos Islands back in 2020?
    Admiral Tiongson. That is the same exact fishing fleet that 
I was just speaking about. So, as I mentioned----
    Ms. Radewagen. That will do the job?
    Admiral Tiongson. I'm sorry, ma'am?
    Ms. Radewagen. You think that will do the job?
    Admiral Tiongson. What you meant I think what we have done 
over time is we have become very good at working with our 
interagency partners and collecting the intelligence that 
enables us to go ahead and target vessels within those packs.
    Ms. Radewagen. So that is a yes. Thank you.
    So, as a follow-up, what existing information and 
coordination mechanisms do you have in place to mitigate your 
force shortfalls and other regional allies like Australia, 
France, and New Zealand? What is needed to better utilize these 
partnerships in safeguarding our own waters in the Pacific? 
Yes, Admiral.
    If the other two want to jump in, feel free.
    Admiral Tiongson. We work very closely with the Australians 
and the other countries that you mentioned. We share 
information back and forth. For example, in Australia, we have 
an attache that's there. Within their joint forces, we have a 
liaison officer that keeps us abreast of all of their types of 
operations and all of the operations that we're running. We 
share that information back and forth.
    Ms. Radewagen. Thank you.
    Admiral, following up on the Chairman's earlier question, 
what is the estimated value of fish stocks in ours and other 
compact waters? What do our island and waterfront communities 
tell you that is needed to safeguard their livelihoods?
    Admiral Tiongson. What they need is presence and they need 
help from the Coast Guard. Through the bilaterals that you 
spoke of earlier, our bilateral shiprider agreements, we're 
able to do that because they may not have the capacity and/or 
the resources to do their own sovereignty. We do that for them 
and we have blossomed a great deal in our relationships to a 
point where two of those nations are enabling us to enforce 
their sovereignty without having a shiprider, just calling into 
them. We call that the enhanced shiprider program.
    Ms. Radewagen. Last, why has there not been a permanent 
Coast Guard presence in American Samoa? American Samoa relies 
on fishing for its livelihood. As you know, we are a one 
industry economy, and it is all about fishing for its 
livelihood. As competition for fish stocks heats up, it has a 
deleterious impact on these Americans' lives. What is the Coast 
Guard doing now to safeguard these Americans' livelihoods and 
safety in our own waters?
    I understand from somebody in the Coast Guard that you will 
be ratcheting up your activity over the course of the next year 
out in our area. I don't know exactly what that means, but 
sounds hopeful.
    Admiral Tiongson. With the addition of the Indo-Pacific 
support cutter, we will be ratcheting up more because that will 
provide more presence, assets for more presence. But what we 
have there are essentially fast response cutters and a buoy 
tender that enables us to go ahead and have episodic presence 
in and around places like America Samoa. We need to increase 
that. That's why on our unfunded priorities list, there are 
four FRCs, fast response cutters.
    Ms. Radewagen. Thank you.
    Chairman, I yield back.
    Chairman Gimenez. The gentlelady yields back.
    I have had some follow-up questions.
    American Samoa is American territory and I am concerned 
that we have episodic presence in American territory. So 
whatever the Coast Guard can do to have a permanent presence in 
American Samoa, especially in light of the fact that we see 
much more aggressive action by the CCP, the PRC, the fishing 
fleets that are ravaging fish stocks around the world, we don't 
want that to happen around American Samoa or any American 
territory.
    Got a question. OK, so I am ignorant about this. So you 
found a 350 fleet fishing fleet off of in the Eastern Pacific, 
illegally fishing. What does international law allow you to do?
    Admiral Tiongson. What we work through is the auspices of a 
regional fisheries management organization. Those organizations 
are comprised of several nations that come together and they 
sign CMMs, or Conservation Management Measures. That tells them 
how much to catch, what types of catches, rules on definning, 
and those types of things.
    Chairman Gimenez. That is not really what I am going after. 
What I am going after, you find fishing vessels that are 
violating those restrictions, laws, et cetera, what can you do 
about it? What do you do about it?
    Admiral Tiongson. I'll give you a great example from last 
year, that same fishing fleet run by China in the Eastern 
Pacific. We conducted boardings on some of them, we saw that 
there were violations, we reported those to the Fisheries 
Management Organization, who reported them to the flagged 
states of those vessels. Those vessels, actually 30-plus of 
them were deflagged. They had no home at that point. But we 
were able to seize the catch, take those catches away. But in 
addition to that, there was a willing partner, and the partner 
was the country of Panama. They went ahead and talked with 
other willing partners in Ecuador, and they took action against 
the actual companies and the fish production companies as well.
    Chairman Gimenez. What about the vessels themselves? What 
happened to them?
    Admiral Tiongson. Stateless vessels have no rights and 
those types of things, and they are subject to any type of 
boardings and inspections throughout the world. What happened 
to those particular ones is a few of them have been reflagged 
in different places, but they are on our watch list.
    Chairman Gimenez. So but you don't seize the vessels 
themselves?
    Admiral Tiongson. No, sir, we do not.
    Chairman Gimenez. So as soon as you leave the area, they 
can go ahead and start doing whatever they were doing before?
    Admiral Tiongson. We watch them extremely closely and 
provide that enforcement that's necessary to prevent and deter 
that type of activity.
    Chairman Gimenez. Have you ever seen or boarded vessels on 
numerous occasions doing the same thing? Repeat offenders.
    Admiral Tiongson. Once we have them and we watch them very 
closely. Have there been repeat offenders? I'm almost positive 
that there have been.
    Chairman Gimenez. OK. Interesting. You said they were 
Chinese-flagged vessels? They were home ported in China? Or 
where are they from? They are Chinese vessels, right?
    Admiral Tiongson. They were Chinese vessels flagged in 
another nation.
    Chairman Gimenez. OK. That is interesting, too. So they are 
Chinese vessels. I mean I know we--you know, I used to be the 
mayor of Miami Dade, so I know we have a bunch of cruise ships 
that are flagged somewhere else, but they are really American 
cruise ships. So they just look for another home, another flag, 
and then fly that flag until they get caught again and then 
just--is that what they do, too? Do they go flag hunting once 
you catch them?
    Admiral Tiongson. There are some of these vessels that are 
on that particular watch list that have looked for flags of 
convenience, just as you mentioned.
    Chairman Gimenez. But do they then take their catch and do 
they go back to China? Is that what they are doing? Or are they 
selling their catch everywhere around the world?
    Admiral Tiongson. In many ways, they have production 
vessels that are with them in that fleet. When they process the 
fish those fish can go anywhere around the world. Majority does 
go to China.
    Chairman Gimenez. Interesting. OK.
    Well, look, we talk a lot about climate change and fish 
stocks and all that, but the facts are that the PRC, the CCP, 
is the world's greatest polluter by a factor of two. Every 
week, they are opening up a new coal-fired power plant in 
China, they are increasing their carbon dioxide output. As we 
decrease ours, they are increasing theirs. So everything that 
we are doing here, they are more than outdoing on the other 
side through their efforts. So they are the greatest polluter 
in the world, they are the greatest carbon dioxide producer in 
the world, they are also now, according to testimony, they are 
also the leading cause of the reduction in fish stocks from 
around the world.
    Am I exaggerating something, or do you think that that is 
an accurate statement that the CCP, the PRC, is raiding and 
destroying fish stocks around the world? Is that an 
overstatement? Am I being too dramatic or is it pretty 
accurate?
    Admiral Tiongson. I would have to look at the numbers, sir, 
and get back to you. I can state that the Chinese distance 
water fleet, distant water fishing fleet, is the largest 
throughout the world.
    Chairman Gimenez. Do you find them to be law-abiding or do 
you find them to do whatever the heck they want to do just as 
long as you don't catch them?
    Admiral Tiongson. They are clearly involved with illegal, 
unreported, unregulated fisheries throughout the world.
    Chairman Gimenez. Fair enough.
    So I guess--so you still think that climate change is the 
greatest existential threat here in this area or is it the PRC 
and the CCP?
    Admiral Tiongson. If you're asking me what the partner 
nations tell me, they list----
    Chairman Gimenez. I didn't ask you to tell me what the 
partner nations feel, I say you, what do you feel? What is the 
greatest existential threat to this area?
    Admiral Tiongson. Sir, I feel it's maritime governance. 
It's the ability to bolster partner nations so that they can 
take care of their own sovereign rights in trade and things of 
that nature, as well as the pollution within the oceans and to 
be prepared for humanitarian assistance disaster response.
    Chairman Gimenez. OK.
    Since nobody else wants to ask any questions, I am just 
going to continue to ask questions, I guess, until I am done.
    In order for you to provide the patrol and the resources 
that you need to adequately protect American Samoa, what do you 
need from the Coast Guard? What do you need from us? What do we 
need to do?
    Admiral Tiongson. We have had excellent support, but again, 
I will refer to the 4 fast response cutters that are on our 
unfunded priorities list for fiscal year 2024. Those will 
enable us to have more persistent presence throughout--at 
American Samoa and throughout that region.
    Chairman Gimenez. Why don't we have a permanent presence in 
American Samoa?
    Admiral Tiongson. Sir, I do not know the answer to that 
question. I know that we have that permanent presence in Guam, 
which enables us to do expeditionary deployments and we are 
able to patrol in and around the waters of American Samoa.
    Chairman Gimenez. How far away is American Samoa from Guam?
    Admiral Tiongson. It's a few hundred miles, to the best of 
my knowledge. I'd have to look that up on a chart.
    Chairman Gimenez. I can have a colloquy. How far away is 
that?
    Ms. Radewagen. Several thousand.
    Chairman Gimenez. Several thousand miles? So it is like 
from here to Wyoming?
    Admiral Tiongson. If you're asking me, sir, I'd have to 
look at a chart----
    Chairman Gimenez. A pretty good distance, OK.
    Admiral Tiongson. It is a distance.
    Chairman Gimenez. It is not like you are not in the hood. 
OK, 2,000 miles is 2,000 miles. So again, you know, I asked--it 
is American territory, they are American citizens, they deserve 
American protection. So why aren't we there?
    Admiral Tiongson. We are there through----
    Chairman Gimenez. Something, OK.
    Admiral Tiongson [continuing]. Fast response. Episodically 
we are there.
    Chairman Gimenez. Yes, yes. An inflatable boat, anything, 
OK. Why aren't we there? We should have a presence there. Is 
there any military presence there, General?
    General Richardson. Sir, not to my knowledge. I don't think 
we have anything there on a permanent basis.
    Chairman Gimenez. OK.
    All right. Anybody else have any other questions?
    All right, since nobody else has any other questions, this 
hearing is hereby adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 11:23 a.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]

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