PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter called on Wednesday for a halt to island-building by all parties in the South China Sea and an end to militarization of the dispute, saying the United States would be the principle security power in the region for decades to come.
Carter, at a change of command ceremony at the U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii, also said the U.S. military's airplanes and warships would continue to operate in the region wherever permitted under international law.
(Reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Sandra Maler)