Obama: US must always lead, warns vs aggression in South China Sea

In a wide-ranging speech on foreign policy to US military cadets at West Point on May 28, President Barack Obama said that those who ““suggest that America is in decline, or has seen its global leadership slip away – are either misreading history or engaged in partisan politics.” He warned the US was ready to respond to China’s “aggression” toward its neighbors at sea but said Washington should lead by example by ratifying a key treaty. “America must always lead on the world stage,” he said. “But US military action cannot be the only – or even primary – component of our leadership in every instance. Just because we have the best hammer does not mean that every problem is a nail.” Obama said that America should shun isolationism and that its military must be prepared for crises.

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Read a related story on the West Point speech on the New York Times.