Westerman Returns From Historic CODEL Demonstrating U.S. Strength in the Indo-Pacific and Countering CCP Influence

Statement

"Without visiting our friends in the Indo-Pacific and seeing their needs firsthand, it's hard to truly understand the threats they face from the Chinese Communist Party. Leading this trip was an important reminder of the need to preserve our special relationships and work with our partners to protect our mutual values of democracy, freedom and self determination for decades to come. We saw firsthand the scars and heard the stories from nations once ravaged by conflict, and we will continue to ensure our military and economic strength will prevent history from repeating itself. We will not stand idly by in the face of the oppressive and malign actions of the Chinese Communist Party, and we are committed to defending our borders and allies from any regime that seeks to undermine the values of freedom and democracy we cherish."

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