U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, delivered the following opening remarks at a full committee hearing on U.S. military posture and national security challenges in the Indo-Pacific Region.
Chairman Rogers' remarks as prepared for delivery:
Today we continue our posture hearings with INDOPACOM and U.S. Forces Korea.
I want to thank our witnesses for being here and for their service to our nation.
The Indo-Pacific is home to our nation's greatest threats.
In North Korea, we have a mad man who would rather build an illegal nuclear arsenal than feed his starving people.
Late last year, Kim declared he was abandoning the long-standing policy of achieving unification with South Korea.
He announced that South Korea is now a "hostile country", and that North Korea can legally "annihilate" it.
Alarmingly, he backed up his hyperbole by testing new nuclear capable missile technology.
Tests included a strategic cruise missile, a submarine-launched cruise missile, and a solid-fueled ballistic missile with a maneuverable reentry vehicle.
Each of these missiles were designed to disrupt our ability to detect them and to evade our missile defenses.
I am very concerned the advances in Kim's missile technology is the result of a strengthening alliance with Putin.
Since August, North Korea has shipped millions of artillery shells, rockets, and ballistic missiles to Russia, while Russia supplies energy to North Korea.
Putin is testing Kim's missiles on the battlefields of Ukraine with deadly effect.
And Kim is using this first-hand knowledge to improve his missile technology and tactics; something he'll rely on if war erupts on the Korean Peninsula.
But Kim is not the only Asian ally Putin has cultivated to support his illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Shortly after the invasion, Putin and Xi entered into a "no limits partnership".
And while China has not yet provided weapons to Russia, Xi is providing Putin critical economic and security assistance.
This includes dual-use materials and components for weapons.
Xi can afford to do so because he continues to invest heavily on building a modern military.
Earlier this month, the PRC announced it was raising its defense budget by 7.2 percent in 2024.
It's the third year in a row where we've seen an increase of 7% or more.
The unprecedented level of defense spending is paying off.
The PLA is fielding modern systems like hypersonic weapons and fifth-generation fighters.
They can project power well into the Pacific with a 340 ship navy that includes a new aircraft carrier and nuclear powered ballistic missile submarines.
They've improved their ability to conduct joint operations with more realistic exercises and new AI driven technologies that will shorten the kill chain.
And they're building a modern nuclear arsenal at a dizzying rate.
China's extraordinary military build-up is certainly concerning.
But what's most alarming is the increasingly provocative actions Xi has taken in recent years.
• Pushing out China's borders with new defense agreements and military bases in foreign nations;
• Threatening our allies in the region with reckless ship and aircraft intercepts;
• And attempting to coerce Taiwan with military exercises and near-daily airspace incursions simulating an invasion of the island.
We have no choice but to take Xi's threats seriously.
And we have to be resolute in our response.
• We need to accelerate our own military modernization.
• We need to enhance training and readiness in the region.
• And, we need to better distribute logistics throughout the Pacific.
But we won't prevail in any conflict with the CCP on our own.
• We need to expand and strengthen our partnerships in the region;
• We need to better arm our allies with agreements like AUKUS.
• And, we need to expedite the delivery of arms and training to Taiwan so they can better defend their democracy.
I look forward to hearing from our witnesses on their assessment of these threats and what support they need from this committee to deter them.
