Adm Phil Davidson (left) takes command of US INDOPACOM from retiring Adm Harry Harris (right). (US Navy)

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has announced that the US Pacific Command will be renamed the US Indo-Pacific Command.

During a May 30 ceremony for the PACOM change of command from Admiral Harry Harris to Admiral Phil Davidson at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, Secretary Mattis said he directed the name change in recognition that “all nations large and small are essential to the region, in order to sustain stability in ocean areas critical to global peace.

“In recognition of the increasing connectivity of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, today we rename the US Pacific Command to US Indo Pacific Command,” Mattis said.

Secretary James N. Mattis, Secretary for @DeptOfDefense, announces the renaming of U.S. Pacific Command to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command to recognize the increasing connectivity between the Indian & Pacific Oceans and America's commitment to the #IndoPacific! pic.twitter.com/PXk8eeRoWW

— U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (@PacificCommand) May 30, 2018

In his farewell speech, Admiral Harris added, “Great power competition is back. I believe we are reaching an inflection point in history…. A geo-political competition between free and oppressive visions is taking place in the Indo-Pacific.”