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The US feels threatened by China’s growing and vibrant economy therefore because it cannot attack China directly it confronts China on its periphery and through other states including South Korea.

Adam Garrie, a political writer and activist, made the remarks in reaction to US President Donald Trump’s pick for the next American ambassador to South Korea, Admiral Harry Harris who said on Wednesday that while North Korea continues to pose the most imminent threat to the US, China's still remains the biggest long-term challenge that Washington is faced with.

PressTV-China biggest threat to US in Asia: US admiral

Trump’s pick for the next US ambassador to South Korea says despite the recent tensions with North Korea, it is China that poses the biggest threat to the US in Asia.

“China is growing stronger in every sense and America is growing in every sense,” Garrie told Press TV.

He said China is seen as a much more grave threat than North Korea because “in pure objective terms China is a super-power and one that continues to grow just as sure as the US is a declining super power and it goes without saying that China’s more militarily powerful than North Korea.”

Garrie emphasized that the US “is very good at destroying countries that cannot defend themselves but very poor at destroying countries that can.” Therefore, because the US cannot directly attack China because of its defensive capabilities, Washington provokes Beijing around its periphery, he concluded.

China, not North Korea, biggest threat to US

“North Korea remains our most imminent threat and a nuclear-capable North Korea with missiles that can reach the United States is unacceptable,” Admiral Harris had said during a ceremony in Hawaii on Wednesday that saw him step down as chief of the US Pacific Command and also rebranded the division to the US Indo-Pacific Command.

However, he warned, “China remains our biggest long-term challenge. Without focused involvement and engagement by the United States and our allies and partners China will realize its dream of hegemony in Asia.”

The admiral is expected to play a key role in the ongoing talks between the US and North Korea ahead of a possible summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore on June 12.  

US Secretary of State James Mattis had also said ahead of the Hawaii ceremony on Tuesday that the US will continue confronting what he called China’s militarization of the South China Sea.