CCTV recently interviewed Chinese military expert, Zhang Zhaozhong. During the interview, Zhang commented on the U.S. nomination of "Japanese" Admiral Harris as the next commander of the Pacific Command. Zhang expressed the belief that the U.S. had suppressing China in mind when nominating Harris.
Zhang Zhaozhong stated that China is the only country that is able to challenge the United States, but the two countries are more than 10,000 kilometers apart. If the United States wants to intervene in East Asia, it must rely on the first island chain and rely on its "little partner" on the front line. The United States hopes to "kill [others] with a borrowed knife" and achieve its goal to suppressing [China] through Japan and other countries using the Diaoyu Islands and other issues.
Zhang added, "Harris will not necessarily favor the Japanese because of their Japanese identity, but [we should] understand the intention of the United States’ move. Harris has a Japanese background. He is also an expert in East Asian issues. The United States certainly had the thought of using him to suppress China."
[Editor’s note: Admiral Harris was born in Japan and raised in Tennessee and Florida.]
Source: People’s Daily, September 29, 2014
http://military.people.com.cn/n/2014/0928/c1011-25753922.html