Theodore Roosevelt, who more than a century ago was the first to define the Pacific as a core US interest, once urged his countrymen to “speak softly and carry a big stick”.
Yesterday, America’s understated defence secretary Ashton Carter used a visit to the US aircraft carrier named in the former president’s honour to deliver a highly symbolic warning to China.
Speaking from the deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt — nicknamed “The Big Stick” — in the South China Sea, Mr Carter said there was “a lot of concern about China in the region”.
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