N CALLS THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA THE ONLY COUNTRY WITH THE WILL, THE INTENT, AND THE MILITARY STRENGTH TO CHANGE THE WORLD ORDER.

THE U.S. MILITARY OFFICER RESPONSIBLE FOR CHINA AND THE VAST AREA FROM HAWAII TO INDIA IS STEPPING DOWN THIS WEEK AFTER THREE YEARS AND A 40-YEAR CAREER.

HE SPOKE IN HIS FINAL INTERVIEW WITH NICK SCHIFRIN IN HONOLULU.

>> THE MILITARY CALLS IT AND NO PACIFIC COMMAND.

IT COVERS HALF THE SURFACE AREA OF THE PLANET AND MORE THAN 60% OF THE WORLD'S ECONOMY AND POPULATION -- THE MILITARY CALLS IT INDO PACIFIC COMMAND.

IN THE THREE YEARS SINCE HE HAS BEEN IN COMMAND, THE MEN IN THE POSITIONS AS CHINA HAS BUILT MORE THAN 3 MILLION AIRCRAFT, 20 MILLION WARSHIPS AND DOUBLED ITS MILITARY.

HE SAYS THE U.S. AND ITS PARTNERS AND ALLIES MUST GO FASTER.

>> AS I LOOK OVER MY PAST THREE YEARS, THE SECURITY ENVIRONMENT HAS CHANGED DRASTICALLY AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE P.R.C.

AS THE MOST CONCERNING SECURITY THREAT THAT EXISTS, THEY CONTINUE TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE IN A VARIETY OF AREAS.

THEY ARE CHALLENGING THE CURRENT INTERNATIONAL RULES TO BENEFIT AN AUTHORITARIAN SOCIETY THAT DOES NOT PROVIDE A BENEFIT FOR ANYONE ELSE IN THE REGION.

THEY HAVE EXPANDED THEIR MILITARY CAPABILITY.

THEIR VERBALIZATION IS MORE AGGRESSIVE AND THEIR ACTION IS MORE AGGRESSIVE, AND THEY HAVE NO ACCELERATED OR DANGEROUS.

>> PERHAPS MOST DANGEROUS IN THE PHILIPPINES.

CHINA BOASTED A PHILIPPINE BOAT WITH WATER CANNONS IN THE SCARBOROUGH SHOAL WHICH CHINA CLAIMS AS ITS OWN.

IT ALSO CLAIMS THE SECOND THOMAS SCHOLL WHERE CHINESE BOATS HAVE RAN PHILIPPINE BOATS TRYING TO RESUPPLY A SHIP THE PHILIPPINES INTENTIONALLY GROUNDED.

THE U.S.

ACKNOWLEDGES IT IS OBLIGATED TO DEFEND THE PHILIPPINES.

>> ARE CHINESE ACTIONS INCREASING THE CHANCES OF U.S.-CHINESE CONFLICT?

>> CHINESE ACTIONS ARE CERTAINLY DESTABILIZING TO THE REGION.

THEY ARE PUTTING AT RISK THE PHILIPPINE COAST GUARDSMEN, SAILORS, AND THOSE FISHERMEN THAT OPERATE IN THEIR EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE WITHIN THE FULL RIGHTS OF THE PHILIPPINES.

>> IF ONE OF THESE INCIDENTS BECOMES A DEADLY AND THAT BECOMES A VERY SERIOUS CHALLENGE FOR THE U.S. AND THE MILITARY?

>> IT COULD ABSOLUTELY BE A CHALLENGE FOR THE UNITED STATES AND MILITARY POLICY LEVEL.

AGAIN, IT'S THE PHILIPPINES TODAY WHERE WE HAVE TO HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT CHINA HAS THESE SAME CLAIMS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SOUTH CHINA SEA.

>> YOU RECENTLY SAID THE CHINESE "BELIEVE THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH IT."

DOES THAT MEAN THEY HAVE NOT PAID ENOUGH PRICE FOR THEIR ACTION?

>> THEY HAVE CLEARLY MADE A RISK DETERMINATION THAT TAKING FURTHER ACTION IS TO THE BENEFIT OF THEIR STRATEGIC ACTION.

THEIR ACTIONS TELL A STORY, AS I LOOK AT IT.

>> IN ABOUT THREE WEEKS, TAIWAN INAUGURATES A NEW PRESIDENT.

BEIJING CALLS HIM A DANGEROUS SEPARATIST.

YOU RECENTLY CALLED OUT INCREASINGLY AGGRESSIVE COERCION AND PRESSURE BY BEIJING TOWARD TAIPEI.

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM BEIJING AROUND INAUGURATION DAY?

>> WHAT I WILL SAY IS UNITED STATES POLICY TOWARD TAIWAN HAS NOT CHANGED.

THE UNITED STATES SUPPORTS A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF THIS DISPUTE.

THE ISSUE HERE IS WE ARE NOT IN THE FREE OF COERCION SPACE.

IN OTHER PLACES, WE ARE WATCHING MORE CLOSELY -- >> SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO TAIWAN THEN TAIPEI?

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

OPERATIONS IN SPACES THAT HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO SEPARATE OUR FORCES, THOSE ARE BEING CHALLENGED.

>> SOME EXPERTS SAY THE U.S. HAVE NOT DONE ENOUGH, BUT THAT THEORY HAS BEEN PROVEN IN UKRAINE.

>> THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY TAKEN STEPS IN THE WAKE OF THE UKRAINE INVASION TO NUMBER ONE, UNDERSTAND THAT THE UNTHINKABLE IS POTENTIALLY REAL, AND THEY HAVE TAKEN ALL THE RIGHT STEPS AS IT APPLIES TO THEIR DEFENSE.

THEY GET A CHOICE ON WHAT THEY SHOULD BUY, HOW THEY SHOULD WORK IT, HOW THEY INTEGRATE IT AND HOW THEY DELIVER IT, AND AGAIN, UNDER THE TAIWAN RELATIONS ACT.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE INDOPACOM AOR HERE -- >> THANKS TO BILATERAL AND MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS IN PART DESIGNED TO COMPLICATE BEIJING'S WAR PLANNING.

>> WHAT I WANT IS FOR ALL OF THESE NATIONS TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER IF NEED BE TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER WHEN REQUIRED, IF IT'S HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE OR FOR THE UNITED STATES TO EXECUTE OUR MODULE DEFENSE -- MUTUAL DEFENSE RESPONSE ABILITIES.

>> CHINA AS THAT HAS ITS OWN EXPANDING ALLIANCE.

>> YOU RECENTLY TESTIFIED THAT CHINA HAS HELPED RUSSIA REBUILD AND RECONSTITUTE ITS DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE.

>> WHAT I CAN WATCH FROM THIS SITE IS THE ABILITY OF BEIJING TO UTILIZE A COVER UP CIVIL MILITARY FUSION TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE CAPABILITIES TO THE RUSSIANS BELOW THE LEVEL OF DIRECT LETHAL AID.

AGAIN, THAT IS THIS NO LIMITS RELATIONSHIP THAT WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT.

>> A U.S. OFFICIAL GAVE ME THIS DETAIL -- CHINA HAS SENT RUSSIA BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF MACHINE TOOLS THAT RUSSIA HAS LIKELY USE TO BUILD MUSCLES.

IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE THE KIND OF PARTNERSHIP THAT NIXON AND KISSINGER WERE ABLE TO PREVENT IN THE COLD WAR.

>> IN THE WORDS OF XI JINPING, THIS IS A RELATIONSHIP NOT SEEN IN 100 YEARS.

THOSE ARE HIS WORDS, AND THE ACTIONS SUPPORTED.

>> NORTH KOREA HAS SUPPLIED RUSSIA WITH SHORT RANGE BALLISTIC MISSILES IN ADDITION TO MILLIONS OF ARTILLERY SHELLS.

ARE YOU CONCERNED AS A TWO-WAY STREET, THAT NORTH KOREAN MISSILES, WHICH ARE NOT PARTICULARLY GOOD, GET BATTLE TESTED IN UKRAINE BY RUSSIA AND THEREFORE DESTABILIZE?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

FIRST OF ALL, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT AUTHORITARIAN NATIONS, NO ONE EVER DOES ANYTHING TO HELP ANYONE ELSE FOR THE GOODNESS OF THE OTHER PERSON.

THERE IS A QUID PRO QUO THAT APPLIES, SO WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE ACCESS TO INCREASED TECHNOLOGY IN NORTH KOREA, BUT THE MAIN THEME THAT IS REALLY CONCERNING THAT EVERYONE HAS TO SEE, IT LINKS AUTHORITARIAN NATIONS IN WAYS WE HAVE NOT SEEN IN OUR HISTORY IN A LONG TIME.

>> LAST WEEK, PRESIDENT BIDEN SIGNED INTO LAW A BILL THAT WOULD REQUIRE TIKTOK'S CHINESE OWNER TO DIVEST OR FACE A BAN.

IF YOU DON'T MIND ME ASKING A SLIGHTLY PERSONAL QUESTION, WOULD YOU LET YOUR FAMILY IS TIKTOK?

>> I HAVE ENCOURAGED MY DAUGHTERS NOT TO.

THERE IS A RISK.

THE INTELLIGENCE GATHERING RISK, THE INFORMATION, MISINFORMATION, AND DISINFORMATION TRANSMISSION RISK THAT WE SEE.

>> WOULD YOUR DAUGHTERS LISTEN TO YOU?

>> NO ONE IN MY HOUSE LISTENS TO ME.

THIS IS MY PLACE OF SANITY.

>> AT JOINT BASE, THE GUIDED MISSILE HAS JUST REPLACED.

>> THE MORE AGGRESSIVE RHETORIC AND CERTAINLY THE MORE AGGRESSIVE ACTIONS OVER MY THREE YEARS HAVE LED ME TO A PLACE WHERE THE SYNCHRONIZATION OF OUR FORCE IS REQUIRED, AND THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS BY PUTTING IN PLACE A STANDING JOINT TASK FORCE TO TOTALLY AND SEAMLESSLY INTEGRATE OUR OPERATIONS, ACTIONS, AND PLANS IN ORDER TO BE POSTURED.

>> STANDING HERE THREE YEARS LATER, WHAT HAVE YOU NOT ACCOMPLISHED?

>> WHAT I WOULD SAY HAS BEEN CONSISTENT OVER THREE YEARS, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE THE ENTIRE MACHINE -- ENTIRE REGIME - - TRY THE ENTIRE MACHINE TO MOVE FASTER.

I DON'T THINK IT HAS ACCELERATED ENOUGH ACROSS ALL DOMAINS AND ALL AREAS TO BE ABLE TO, NO KIDDING, ACCELERATE THE DELIVERY OF DETERRENT EFFECTS AND ULTIMATELY POSTURE OURSELVES IN A POSITION THAT IS REALLY WHERE WE NEED TO BE IN THIS CURRENT SECURITY ENVIRONMENT.

WE ALL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO GO FASTER.

>> DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE A LEGACY?

>> EVERYONE GETS A LEGACY, IF THEY LIKE IT OR NOT.

I COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD TO HAVE BEEN SERVING WITH AND SERVING ALONGSIDE THE 380,000 U.S. SERVICE MEMBERS IN THIS REGION.

>> THANK.

>> THANKS, NICK.