KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The head of U.S. Pacific Command said Monday that coercive actions by China and other actors are challenging regional stability, warning the United States will not allow any nation to dominate the Indo-Pacific. Admiral Samuel Paparo said some actors were using "false claims of legitimacy" to justify intimidation and coercion. Advertisement AdvertisementPaparo's remarks come as tensions remain high in the South China Sea, where China's expansive maritime claims overlap with those of several Southeast Asian nations. The United States is deterring China through strength, not through confrontation," Paparo said. "We will not let any nation dominate this region or sweep away the hard-fought sovereign rights of independent states."