U.S.-South Korea Shipbuilding and Maritime Dispute in the PMZ | The Capital Cable #118

Improving cooperation in shipbuilding has become a priority for the new Trump and Lee Jae-myung administrations. What are opportunities to leverage South Korea's shipbuilding capacity to improve U.S. naval and commercial shipbuilding capacity? On the other hand, China has built structures in the Provisional Measures Zone in the West Sea/Yellow Sea and employed gray zone tactics in the disputed region with South Korea to expand its territorial presence. What do we know about these structures, and what does this mean for China-South Korea relations?

Joining Mark Lippert and Victor Cha to unpack these questions and more is Adm. (ret.) Scott H. Swift, former Commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet from 2015 to 2018.

Admiral Swift served in the U.S. Navy for more than 40 years, rising from his commission through the Aviation Reserve Officer Candidate program to become a Navy light attack and strike fighter pilot. He commanded at all levels including F/A-18 weapons school, aircraft carrier-based squadrons, Carrier Air Wing, Carrier Strike Group, and the U.S. Seventh Fleet forward-deployed to Japan, finally completing his uniformed career as the 35th Commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet in 2018. During his years of service, he participated in combat Operations Praying Mantis, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom, and received a master’s degree from the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island. He is a graduate of San Diego State University and the U.S. Naval War College. 

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